Living the Life
by danceydancetime
Summary: Ashley loves the show Doctor Who. She entered a contest to be featured in an episode one summer day and won. She got to go to London, and got to meet her favorite Doctor, Matt Smith. It wasn't going to be as perfect as she thought, though. Something strange occurs, and suddenly she is not in a filming studio of Doctor Who, but rather, is living the show! (On temporary hiatus.)
1. Chapter 1

"Shut up, Ian! I'm trying to watch Doctor Who!"

Ashley shooed her whining dog away with a distracted hand, putting her headphones on as she turned the volume up on her laptop. Tucking her feet underneath her as the beginning part of the episode came on, she realized with a bit of annoyance that her feet were cold. Pressing the pause button on the video and picking her laptop up, the girl moved from the living room to her bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. No distractions now! She put her laptop on her bed, and plugged it into the charger, grabbing a pair of socks and unlocking her bedroom door and going across the hall to get her almost forgotten snack from the couch arm. She flipped a sign on her door as she shut the door and locked it again.

"Leave me alone, I'm with the Doctor."

Her whole family, and basically everyone who she talked to, knew about her obsession with the British television show. When her dad asked her one day after her turning down watching soccer with him for the newest episode of Doctor Who what exactly made it so amazing, she really had no answer.

"It's…Well, it's cool!" She laughed at the reference she made and gave her dad a hug before running off to her room. Now, after putting on some nice, fuzzy socks, Ashley paused before turning the video back on to look around her room. Her dedication to the show was quite apparent here. Doctor Who posters hung on her wall, she had soundtracks from the seasons, she had toys ('replicas', she insisted) of Sonic Screwdrivers, figurines, doodles of blue boxes in notebooks, a long scarf draped over the back of her chair, and she even had tickets from the times when she went to Royal Albert Hall for the Proms featuring Doctor Who with her father framed and hanging above her desk. Her quilt was handmade by her mother (may she rest in peace) and featured the TARDIS, complete with a hand-stitched sign.

Her mother...She'd been hit by a car when Ashley was only ten. It had been a hard time for her. At first it seemed like her mother might pull through, but on the operation table she passed away. Ashley's father noticed then that his daughter became even more obsessed with the Doctor after that, maybe as her way of coping.

Ashley blinked and turned her attention to her cat, which was playing with a Dalek plush on the floor. "Mickey! Leave that alone!" She said sternly. The cat froze and then gave her an innocent look, jumping up on her bed and settling against her feet, becoming a grey purring mass of fur. She rolled her eyes at him, and turned the video back on, settling comfortably back into her pillows.

Halfway through the episode, her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket. With an exasperated sigh and a swipe at her eyes (she'd been having 'feelings' again and started crying at the episode) she pulled it out (of course the case was of the TARDIS), and glanced at the caller ID.

The screen said that it was her friend Nora, and Ashley stopped the video (again) and answered it on speakerphone. "Hey, Snora, what's up? You interrupted the Doctor!" Her friend laughed sarcastically on the other side.

"Snora? That's a new one. Are you still sore about the last sleep over? I told you, I have allergies!" Ashley laughed.

"Yeah, whatever, I'm just teasing you. Still, what's shaking?" Nora took a deep breath.

"Well...You know how you somewhat like Doctor Who?" Ashley scoffed.

"That is a major understatement." She interrupted.

"Yeah, I know. Well, I was snooping around online for your birthday present…"

"Nora, I've told you, I keep telling you; I don't want you to get me a gift! You always get me some ridiculously expensive gift and then I feel horrible." Ashley complained.

"Oh, do be quiet, you. I like to splurge on my best friend, alright? Don't deny me!" Nora sounded distressed.

"Whatever…What did you find?" Ashley asked as she minimized the video player and checked her Tumblr.

"You won't guess in a million years." Nora giggled, excited.

"Of course I won't if you don't tell me!" Ashley retorted with a slight frown, focusing on text post on her Dashboard.

"Just take one guess."

Ashley was silent for a moment, scrolling down her Dashboard and Liking a Matt Smith appreciation post. "It's related to Doctor Who?" She finally ventured. Nora sighed in exasperation.

"You have a one track mind, but, yes. It is. Guess some more!"

Ashley slumped back, reblogging a photoset of a materializing TARDIS.

"You...Found a fez signed by Matt Smith." Ashley didn't mean that, but of course it'd be cool if she had!

"It's even better." Nora sounded like she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Get on with it!" There was a pause on the other line and the sound of being on the computer.

"Here, have a look at the link I sent you on Tumblr." That was all she got. Ashley rolled her eyes, and opened a new tab (she still had scrolling to do, and hated it when she lost where she was on her dash). Checking her inbox, she followed the link that was in the note. She froze, reading the article.

"Oh my gosh!" She shrieked. "Dad, come quickly!"

Her father did come quickly, trying the door handle but finding it locked. "Ashley? What's wrong?" Ashley started laughing gleefully, sliding off of her bed and bounding over to the door to unlock it. Grabbing her father's hands and tugging him into the room, she let out an excited squeal.

"Oh my gosh; Nora's the best! This is my big chance!" She bounced up and down in place. Her dad freed his hands, and put them on her shoulders to keep her from bouncing.

"One word at a time, please." He chuckled. "Now, what is it?"

Ashley sucked in her breath. "Okay. Nora just sent me a link to a BBC site, and it's about Doctor Who." Her father nodded, guessing as much.

"What does this mean..?" He prompted. She brought him her laptop to look at.

"They're looking for a teenage actor to appear in an episode! Isn't that awesome? Look at me, I'm a teenager! This could be a chance for me to meet Matt Smith and for me to get a real acting job!" She clapped her hands together, delighted. Her father read it over.

"Well, Ashley, that certainly is exciting…Honestly, though, it's a bit extravagant." He remarked. Ashley stopped her clapping and looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her face falling slightly.

"Well, first off, they're looking for talented people. Now, I'm not saying you're not talented, but these are the ones that have had professional training for quite some time! You've just done performances at the local theater and at school. Also, this is in New York; that's miles away and in a different state! You still have school to think of, and what about expenses?" Ashley looked down at her feet, crestfallen.

"Oh..." Her father grimaced internally; she had been so excited about it.

After a silent moment, he sighed. "Well, how about this?" He handed her laptop back to her. "You do this thing and submit yourself, and then we'll go from there." She looked up at him, wide eyed.

"You mean it..?" She asked with hope in her voice.

"Sure! What harm could it cause?" Ashley stared at him, amazed, and then she shrieked.

"Oh my gosh!" Nora, forgotten on the phone, began laughing and then hung up. There'd be no talking to Ashley in that state.

Alright, the rules for submitting herself to the search was she that had to be age thirteen to eighteen, had to have a parent/guardian's permission, had to follow a script and record herself acting it, and then she would submit the video to the site. In about two weeks time they'd go over the entries, and then they would pick a winner. It seemed simple enough! Ashley marked the site for later, and printed off the script. "Oh my gosh…" She murmured as the second page began printing. Her stomach was already beginning to feel like it was filled with butterflies.

She gave it a glance, but put it down. It was almost nine, she never finished her video, and she was getting tired... She decided to drop Nora a note online and then turn her video back on.

"OH MY GOSH YOU ARE FANTASTIC!"

Ashley just loved Nora, they were like sisters. They'd befriended each other in the third grade after Nora dropped her cupcake during a class birthday. Ashley had given Nora her cupcake, and did a ridiculous thing by picking up the fallen cupcake, wiping the frosting off, and eating the cake. "Gross!" Nora had giggled.

"What?" Ashley asked, grinning. "Thirty second rule." Nora grinned back.

"You made that up; it's ten seconds!" Ashley laughed.

"So? It's still good!" They had been good friends ever since. Nora never did get too into Doctor Who, but instead was converted into a faithful fan of Sherlock. They playfully argued about which show was best with each other, but settled the differences when they discovered Supernatural. Now they had something they both enjoyed; though on Ashley's watch, the Doctor was better!

Ashley was falling asleep by the time the episode was over, and tiredly kicked her jeans off onto the floor, going to sleep in her shirt. She put her laptop on the table by her bed and went to sleep, dreaming about the TARDIS materializing in her bedroom and taking her off into the universe.


	2. Chapter 2

Ashley was distracted in school the next day. She only had the rest of the week left in school (it was about to get out for summer) and she really should have been concentrating on reviewing for testing, but there was just so much to think about! She'd printed another copy of the script and had read part of it at lunch in school that day. It was all monologue, but she was supposed to leave pauses and react as if someone else was there talking to her.

"If I'm just some person, one out of a billion out of all those planets in the universe, how come this is happening to me?!"

She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to focus on the math worksheet. She gave up with a sigh, and began doodling. Well, she was halfway done, close enough! The doodle started out as a simple circle, but began to become shaded and detailed, and soon became the Earth, spinning through space. She added stars, making them look like they were whipping past, and then added a little TARDIS leading it back through space. Ashley suppressed a little giggle at it; it was actually not that bad. The final bell rang, and she quickly shoved her stuff into her bag and jumped up. School was out!

Nora was waiting outside of Ashley's math class by the time Ashley got out.

"So...Did you like it?" She asked with a smug little smirk.

"Not like; love!" Ashley rolled her eyes and gave Nora a big hug. "Thank you for finding it! Dad actually said I could submit myself." Nora grinned.

"That's super cool! I know for sure that you'll win! You're the best actress I know." Ashley felt pleased and slightly embarrassed.

"Aw, thank you!" Nora looked over her shoulder.

"I've got to go. Mike is giving me a ride home." She smiled a bit nervously.

"Oh? Is it a date?" Ashley teased. Nora had crushed on Mike since the seventh grade.

"No! He's also giving my brother a ride." Ashley laughed.

"Whatever. See you later!" She waved to Nora as her friend hurried over to her brother and Mike.

Ashley rode her bike home each day. Putting her helmet on, she strapped her bag into the back basket. Here was another example of her dedication to Doctor Who. Her shoulder bag was brown with a Dalek on it, and she'd painted her bicycle TARDIS blue with glitter on it like stars. She thought about how she was going to go about the filming of her video. In all, it'd turn out to be around three minutes and forty-five seconds long. That was a lot! Bother, she was feeling nervous again.

After finishing her homework, Ashley went into her room and set up a white sheet to block her laptop camera's view from her room. Making sure that only she and the white sheet showed in the view, she practiced recording herself while reading the script.

"Hold it! Could we just take a minute, and discuss things like reasonable people?" She 'asked' the Doctor.

"You're being unfair! The only reason why I did that was because you were wrong! There was a way to save them all! You just interrupted me!

"No, you listen to me!" Her throat closed up and made her voice thick, like she was about to start crying.

"You think you're so great, with your time machine and Sonic Screwdriver and whatever, but you don't know everything! Just because you're a thousand years old, so you say, that does not mean you have the right to act like you're better than me!" Ashley paused, and took a deep breath to calm her.

"I happen to know a thing or two about stuff, even if I am just a kid compared to you, and I know that you can't do it all by yourself!"

Ashley was quiet for a moment, 'listening' to his response. "Yeah, I know that it's a disaster now, but if you hadn't interrupted me, everything would be fine! Please! I know I can fix it!" She pleaded. "Just give me another chance! Have you never made a mistake in your life? Just..." Ashley took a deep breath. "Take me back right now! Take me back to that stupid mess and I'll fix it! Please!" The Doctor 'said' something sharp to her, and she turned her head away, sniffing.

"If I'm just some person, one out of a billion out of all those planets in the universe, how come this is happening to me? I never asked for you to pick me up from the side of the road! If I'd kept walking, I would have found a bus station sooner or later, and we wouldn't be here! This is your fault as much as mine!"

There was a knock at her door. "Ashley? It's dinnertime; want to go out for pizza?" Her father asked.

"Sure!" Ashley stopped the recording, and went around the sheet.

"What are you doing in there?" He asked her, amused.

"I was just practicing. Which parlor are we going to?" She asked, pulling her shoes on.

"I was thinking the one just down the road." He replied.

"There's a soccer game on, isn't there?" Ashley asked, giving him a look. He sighed, and put his hands in the air.

"You got me." He admitted. She laughed. The pizza parlor down the road was a sports bar, too, and her father loved soccer.

It was just the two of them now in their home. She had an older brother, but he'd moved out a while ago to start his own life. His wife was now expecting, and Ashley would be an aunt by the end of the year. She did everything with her father. If he went on a business trip, nine out of ten times Ashley would go with him. He'd been to every drama performance she'd been in, and he supported her as much as he could. They were inseparable.

"Grab your purse. I may stop by the movie rental place depending on the time to drop off the movies." Her father told her, going to grab his keys. Ashley looked in her room for it, but couldn't find it in there. Her cat Mickey twined his way between her legs as she checked through her stuff in her room.

"You haven't seen it, have you?" She asked. The cat paused, and looked up at her with wide yellow eyes, giving her a meow before exiting the room. She shrugged, and followed him out, looking in the living room and kitchen. Where had that thing gone off to?

Ashley's father honked the car horn, letting her know he was ready to go. "I need a minute!" She yelled to him, looking under the couch. After a moment, she got an idea, and jumped up, grabbing one of the house phones. She dialed her phone number and waited impatiently as it rang. Her phone was always either on her person or in her purse. As she was lacking the phone on her currently, it had to be in her purse. She faintly heard the sound of a TARDIS coming from in the kitchen, and Ashley trailed after the sound, finding her purse inside the fridge. Hanging the phone up, her face felt warm. She must have accidentally stuck it in the fridge along with the milk carton after school today. Hopefully the cold didn't affect her electronics!

Her father honked again at her, and she ran out, turning the lights out and locking the house after her. "What took you so long?" He asked her.

"I left my purse in the fridge." He gave her a funny look.

"Do I want to know?" Ashley giggled.

"Not really." He shook his head, and they backed out of the drive.

After dinner at the pizza parlor, where Ashley got into a playful argument at who was better at soccer, they went to the movie rental. Ashley lost that argument, by the way. Her father had been quite good at it when he was younger, but stopped when he had to get his knee replaced. He was still by far more talented at the sport than her though. Honestly, Ashley had trouble running, let alone running after a moving ball! She browsed through her favorite isle, seeing if there was anything Doctor Who related she hadn't already rented. She'd already watched the 1996 movie with Paul (which was just so dorky and hilarious)… Her favorite scene in that movie was when he was in the park with his companion. The way he ran in those 'perfect' shoes made her crack up. Just for nostalgia, she picked it up, wanting to rent it again. She went up to the front desk to check it out with her own card, looking around the shop for her dad. He was near the back, looking through the westerns.

Ashley grinned. He might act Italian, eating pizza and watching soccer, but he was a true cowboy at heart. It was hard to be a cowboy in their area though, so he stuck to the movies. She looked in the soda fridge for a Dr Pepper (take a guess why it's her favorite soda) when the boy acting as clerk came nervously over to her. "Uh, hey there Ashley..." He greeted her.

She looked up at him, mildly startled. "Oh! Hey. It's Derek, right?" Derek looked pleased that she remembered his name.

"That's me...Uh, I was wondering if, uh..." His face turned red. Ashley suppressed a smile

"What?" She prompted him.

"Uh, nothing; never mind! I was just going to say...Uh, if you buy a soda and a box of candy; you get a tub of popcorn free!" He quickly supplied. She finally smiled.

"Cool! One moment, please." She turned around to check the candy rack, trying to cover her pleased expression.

For a while she'd noticed his shy glances at her. Was he about to ask her out? She giggled. Too bad he lost his nerve. Underneath his glasses and teenage acne, he was rather cute, now that she thought of it. She went over to the checkout counter, and put the soda, a box of Milk Duds, and the 'free' popcorn tub up on it for him to scan, along with her movie. As he was scanning the bar code on the movie, she spoke up, making him jump slightly. "You know, you should try something. Put Milk Duds in with your popcorn and let the heat of it melt the chocolate a little. It's super good." Ashley winked.

"Oh? Yeah, I guess I can try that." Derek said shyly.

"Cool! Tell me what you think when I come to return the movie." He glanced at it in his hand.

"You sure do like Doctor Who." He mused. "You've checked everything related to it out at least twice." She laughed.

"That's me, number one Whovian." He looked confused. "Number one what?" She titled her head. "Whovian; it's a term people in the Doctor Who fandom use to describe us." Derek still looked confused.

"Do you have a Tumblr?" She asked him. The boy shook his head, his mousy brown hair falling in his face. She mimicked the Scream painting. "What! You don't have a Tumblr? We must fix that!" He made a face.

"Yeah...I mainly spend time on Runescape." He shrugged.

Ashley laughed. "I guess Runescape is at least better than World of Warcraft!" She joked.

"It's not that bad." He said in defense of it. Now it was her turn to shrug.

"Hey, how about this; you give me your number so we can meet at the library, and we can get you set up with a Tumblr blog." Derek's ears turned red.

"Uh, sure, that's a good idea…Here you go." He scribbled his number in the back of her receipt, and shoved it in the bag with her stuff. Ashley's father came up behind her, setting his Western on the counter.

"Are you all ready to go?" He asked her. His daughter beamed up at him.

"All set!" She said. "I'll wait in the car." He nodded, a bit distracted as he felt around his person for his wallet. Ashley waved to Derek when she went out. "I'll text you later!" She said cheerfully. He waved back at her shyly as he scanned her father's movie.

Out in the car, Ashley sat in her seat before squealing happily, kicking her feet out. Had she actually done that? She, Whovian Ashley, just asked a boy for his number, and just nearly asked him out on a date! What was wrong with her? She grinned at herself in the sunshade mirror cheekily. "Oh Ashley, you sly thing, stealing the video boy's heart." She teased herself. Her smile faded after a moment though, beginning to wonder. What did Derek like in her? Certainly not how she looked. There were so many more pretty girls in school. She was rather plain. She wasn't thin, she was actually rather...Well, she called herself perfectly plump, but she had curves! Maybe that was it? She also, not modestly, admitted that she had a bust. Nora liked to tease her about getting implants. "I did not!" Ashley would protest. Her hair was kind of stuck between gold and brown and hung down to her shoulders, and her smile wasn't stunning. Ashley thought that she, well, she just looked like herself. She shrugged. Maybe that's what he liked. Could he like just her?

Her father got in the car. "Well, let's get home. I found a new movie I want to watch. What's all that?" He asked, gesturing at her bag.

"Oh! Derek said if I got a soda and candy I could get a free tub of popcorn." He smiled.

"Derek is the boy inside?" She nodded. "Well, that's nice." He said, taking them home.

"Yeah...Sometime soon I'm going to meet him at the library, and I'm going to convert another to the dark side." He chuckled.

"What does that mean? Do you guys have cookies or something?"Ashley wrinkled her nose.

"No! I'm just getting him set up on Tumblr." He nodded.

"I see. Oh, the wonders of Tumblr. I still remember when you found the Shia LeBeouf song. Boy; that was a creepy thing." He pretended to shudder. She smiled at him. Her father was silly. "What did you get?" He asked her.

"I'm renting the 1996 movie with Paul in it again." Ashley said, showing him the DVD when they stopped at a red light.

"Doctor Who again? Why do you bother renting them when you've got the movies memorized?" He mock sighed. She grinned, looking at herself in the mirror.

"It's fun to say the lines with the actors in the movie." He shook his head in exasperation at his daughter, the Whovian.


	3. Chapter 3

The week breezed past. "How do you think you did?" Ashley's father asked once she was home from the last day of testing. She titled her head from side to side, shrugging as she went to get a glass of milk.

"I think I did alright. I seemed to know all the answers." She said. "You never know. I could have been getting all the right wrong answers." He furrowed his brow, looking over at her from his place at the kitchen table.

"What?" He finally said. His daughter said the strangest things.

"Uh, well, they have purposefully wrong answers on the multiple choices, and I could have been getting all of those, instead of the one right answer." He nodded slowly.

"I guess that explains it..." He chuckled and turned his attention back to his laptop.

"What are you working on?" Ashley asked him in return, sitting down on the other side of the kitchen table with her glass.

"Oh, just some business stuff." He said. "It'd bore you." She giggled.

"I think you're right!" She took a drink of her milk, and got up, picking her bag up and going into her room. She was going to work some more on the script. She rummaged in her bag, pushing aside now worthless old tests and notebooks until she found her other copy. She'd marked notes on it while waiting for the other students in her class to finish.

She set the sheet up again and settled down, turning the camera on for a ten second start delay. She put her desk chair aside, waiting until the camera light stopped flashing. She stumbled into the view and stood there awkwardly for a bit, looking down at the ground. Her head flashed up and her mouth gaped.

"Hold it! Could we just take a minute and discuss this like reasonable people?" Ashley pleaded with 'the Doctor', who she was pretending was there talking to her. She winced at his response and briefly looked away at the ground.

"You're being unfair!" She complained. "The only reason why I did that was because you were wrong! There was a way to save them all; you just interrupted me!" Ashley glanced over in his supposed direction, starting to look upset. He started to reply, but she interrupted him.

"No! You listen to me!"

"You think you're so great, with your time machine and Sonic Screwdriver and whatever, but you don't know everything! Just because you're a thousand years old or so you say, that does not mean you have the right to act like you're better than me!" She sounded like she was about to cry, her face actually starting to feel warm because she was putting quite a bit of emotion into it. Ashley pushed on, not giving him a chance to reply and took a deep breath. "I happen to know a thing or two about stuff, even if I am just a child compared to you, and you can't do it all by yourself!" She listened to him reply, biting her lip in shame at what he 'said'.

"Yeah, I know it's a disaster now, but if you hadn't interrupted me, everything would be fine! Please! I can fix it!" Ashley was pleading with him again. "Just give me another chance! Have you never made a mistake in your life? Just take me back; right now! Take me back to that stupid mess, and I'll fix it! Please, leave me there if I can't!" Looking hurt at his sharp response, she looked away.

"If I am just some person, one out of a billion out of all those planets in the universe, how come this is happening to me? I never asked for you to pick me up from the side of the road! If I'd kept walking, I would have found a bus station sooner or later, and we wouldn't be here! This is your fault as much as it is mine!" Ashley kept her face turned away from him, and then turned her face squarely up to look him in the eyes after he replied to her.

"What good is a time machine if you can't use it to save lives?" She demanded of him. It didn't appear like he responded, and she followed the Doctor with her head. She looked irritated at him and what he said. "You took me home? Even after all that?" The Doctor said something to her, and she looked confused, going out of view of the camera to 'go look out the door'.

"I promise I won't mess up this time! I swear! I can save them all!" She exclaimed off-screen, having been giving her a second chance. She came back into view, grinning excitedly. The Doctor said something to her, and Ashley's expression became odd, but then melted into a big grin.

"I promise!" She said with a nod. "I will be back before you can say Geronimo!" After a moment, Ashley clicked the recording off, putting her desk chair back so she could watch herself. She grimaced at some parts, but overall it wasn't that bad! She really liked some parts, so she could save those, and just put in different clips of better versions and she'd be set! She would work on that over the weekend.

Her phone buzzed in her purse, and she pulled her backpack over to her so she could get the purse out of the bag, then the phone out of the purse. A number she didn't recognize had texted her. "Hey..." She frowned, wondering who it was.

"Hey, who's this?" The person took a moment to reply.

"It's Derek from the movie rental place."Oh! He must be finally getting her text. She'd sent him a Hi and a smiley face the first night he'd given her his number, but he hadn't texted back until now. Ashley quickly saved his number into her contacts.

"Hey, you! What's up?"

"Nothing...Just bored, and I wanted to know if you wanted to meet at"

She frowned, wondering why it'd been cut off.

"Meet at the library tomorrow for Tumblr is what"

Ashley laughed. His phone must be cutting him off because he writing too much!

"What I meant! :("

"Try typing less or abbreviate." She sent. "There's a character limit." After a moment there was a reply.

"…Really?"

"Yeah. XD"

"Oh..."

They texted back and forth for a while, making plans to meet at the library after school. She went into the kitchen where her father was still working on his laptop to ask if she could. "Hey, Dad?" Ashley asked, leaning on the cabinet that separated the kitchen from the living room.

"What?" He asked around a pen in his mouth as he typed.

"Can I go to the library after school tomorrow for a bit?" He glanced at her briefly.

"Are you meeting a friend there?" He dropped the pen onto the table so he could talk freely.

"Yeah, Derek, I'm going to convert him to Tumblr." He laughed, still distracted.

"That's fine by me. Just don't do anything...Stupid." Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure." She said, going back to her room.

"I'll see you 3 tomorrow, OK?"

"Sure. Uh, TTYL?"

"Right! TTYL." Ashley lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as she let her phone drop onto the pillow next to her on her bed. Wouldn't it be something to go to New York? London, too! Oh, she wanted to go to London again so badly. She'd ride on the enormous Ferris wheel, and see Buckingham palace, and do all sorts of British stuff. The butterflies started up in her stomach again. Imagine getting to be in a television show thousands of people would watch. She kicked her feet against her bed, squirming. The very idea gave her the chills! She rolled over onto her stomach and began daydreaming about meeting Matt Smith.


	4. Chapter 4

After school the next day, Ashley went straight from school to the library. She wanted to have a chance to cool of in the air conditioned building after her hot ride was over so that she didn't stink. She was sweating by the time she got her bicycle chained to the rack outside the library. Stopping inside the bathroom, she splashed water on her face and neck, flapping her arms to cool of under her arms. She brushed her hair back with a little water on the small hairbrush she carried with her in her bag, and even went so far as to spray perfume over her body and put the matching scented lotion on her hands and forearms. As she put a piece of minty gum in her mouth, she stood up straight, looking at herself in the bathroom mirror.

Why was she doing this? He was, after all, just the movie rental place's night clerk. He wasn't that good looking, not compared to some boys at school, and he wasn't that special, either. He was just...Derek. She put some ChapStick on, and went to the front counter to wait for him. While Ashley waited, she went ahead and bought a temporary library internet card for him, figuring he wouldn't be one to come here often. She reserved two computers right next to each other with her card and the temp, and sat down in a bean bag in a little sitting area to wait for him.

The cool air felt nice to her still overheated body, and she settled comfortably into the bean bag, closing her eyes and listening to the quiet sound of the air conditioner and the people on the computers. Every once in a while someone would sneeze or cough, and Ashley exhaled deeply. If Derek didn't get here quickly she'd fall asleep... Someone stood over her, blocking the light. She opened her eyes suddenly, startled, and then smiled sheepishly. "Caught me dozing." She admitted to Derek, getting up out of the bean bag.

"It's fine." He said. "I was late..." She smiled.

"Well. Are you ready to be corrupted?" He looked confused. "Ready to make a Tumblr." Ashley clarified.

"Oh." He laughed. "Sure. Lead the way." Ashley told him that they had to wait until the next hour for their computers to be free, so they sat down in bean bags and chatted. It turned out that he didn't go to her school, but went to a smaller school that specialized in medicine.

"Really? That's cool!" Ashley said. "Are you going to be a doctor?" Derek shook his head.

"I think I'm going to be more of a scientist than a doctor." He explained. "I think being able to be in a lab and create cures for illnesses is pretty cool."

"Cool like bow ties." Ashley agreed. He didn't get the reference. "It would have been fun to call you Doctor Derek, though." She laughed.

"I think you will, in a way. Like how people who do law get called Dr. I think people who work in labs get called Dr." Ashley shrugged, fair enough. Noticing that the people at their reserved computers were gone, they went over.

He didn't get how to put in his temporary ID number to verify he was the one who reserved the computer, and Ashley giggled while she leaned over and put it in for him. "For someone who spends a lot of time online gaming, you sure don't know how to work a computer." She teased him. Derek shrugged.

"I don't know how to work a Windows. I have a Mac." She gaped at him.

"A Mac? Cheeses, get a PC." He rolled his eyes.

"Hello, I'm a Mac." He said sarcastically.

"And I'm a PC." She finished, laughing.

Ashley showed him the Tumblr site, and told him how to create a blog. As he was setting it up, she secretively snagged his email while he was typing it in, planning to startle him later by sending him a surprise message. Showing him how to change his blog and icon, and stuff like that, they both ended up following each other. While he was busy looking through tags of stuff he like, she scrolled down her dashboard. She liked a little picture a person she was following made. "Little Doctor Watercolor." Ashley said under her breath. Cute!

"This is so adorbsable."

She commented on it. The person who made it, theimpracticalgirl, responded quickly, being online at the moment.

"Hey, thank you, supercompaniona. :)"

That was her URL on Tumblr. This girl who ran the blog was pretty cool. She was friends with her not only on Tumblr, but on several other sites, like , which was were they'd met. Danceydancetime, the other girl's username on FanFiction, had replied to a reference Ashley had made on a fan fiction someone had written.

"Don't drop the banana!" Ashley had posted.

"Why not?"

"Good source of potassium."

They'd talked after that in notes, finding out that they both were major Whovians. Pretty soon Purple, which was what the other girl liked to be called online, had gotten Ashley to follow her on deviantArt, where she was also theimpracticalgirl. Ashley figured out that Purple had a Gaia Online account, where she had the username tehcolourpurple, hence her nickname, and they'd both freaked out, loving the fact that they lived on nearly opposite sides of the country, but had so many similar interests.

Derek tapped on her shoulder, startling Ashley. "Hey, what's Missing e?" He asked her, having stumbled across it.

"It's something really cool. Download it onto your Tumblr on your home computer later, it lets you do cool stuff." She showed him what it did, and they leaned close to each other as she helped him explore the site. Pretty soon their allotted daily hour was up, and they had to get up from the computers.

"Hey, thank you for showing me Tumblr." Derek said as they walked out to the bike rack. Ashley grinned at him, pleased.

"You're welcome." She said. "Just send me a note if you have any questions, alright?" He nodded.

"Where's your ride?" She asked, noticing that he was just awkwardly standing around as she got her bike ready.

"It'll be here in about an hour. My mom had to go downtown." She nodded.

"Well, I feel bad about just leaving you here alone..." He shook his head, waving his hands in front of him.

"I'll be fine! Just get home so you don't die of melting, okay?" Ashley laughed.

"I'm fine! I was actually born in the desert, so I can handle the heat." She failed to mention the fact that she'd only lived in the Arizona desert for a month before she moved to her current house.

The sound of Ring Around the Rosy reached them, and Derek's face brightened.

"Well, how about I treat you to some ice cream, and we can sit here until my ride is here and talk some more?" His ears turned a bit red. "I mean- If you want to." Ashley smiled.

"That sounds nice." They walked to the side of the road, waiting until the ice cream truck made it's way down to them. Soon they were sitting side by side on the curb in front of the library, trying to eat their treats before they melted. Ashley's rocket pop ended up more on her hand, arm, and thigh than in her mouth.

"I am so glad I wore shorts today." She grumbled, licking the rapidly melting Popsicle. Derek laughed.

"That's why I bought ice cream in a cup." He said.

"Who eats a Rocket Pop in a cup? It's fine for chocolate ice cream, but a Popsicle is most definitely meant to be eaten off of a stick." Ashley said matter-of-fact-ly.

He shrugged. After a bit his mom pulled up, and they had to say goodbye. Ashley waved as they drove off, then went back inside to wash her skin off. Blah! She felt so sticky. She rode home, and noticed her father wasn't there. Going to get a bottle of water from the fridge, she pulled a note off of it that was stuck behind a magnet.

"Ashley.

I won't be home tonight. I had to suddenly go out of town for a meeting, and can't get home. Sorry for not being there, but I can trust that you'll go to bed at a decent hour and get up in time for your last day of school. There's some leftovers in the fridge, but I left a twenty in the junk drawer in case you wanted to order out. Stay safe, and I should be back tomorrow while you're still in school, so I'll be home before you get back.

-Dad."

Ashley read the note as she walked to the bathroom. That was cool! She wasn't home alone often. A silly grin spread across her face as she turned the shower on. This meant...She could watched Doctor Who on the big screen in the living room and have proper feels without being embarrassed! Oh, this was great. Speaking of the big screen, that reminded her. She had freaked out last week when she was online and discovered there were, in fact, Doctor Who video games. She'd ordered a few, and there was a suspiciously amazing looking package by the front door. She took a long shower, letting the hot water steam up the mirrors in the bathroom as she loudly sang songs from the Doctor Who soundtrack. She jumped when something cold suddenly touched her leg, and looked down at her Peeping Tom of a dog, Ian. He must have pushed the bathroom door open.

"You perv." She teased, splashing a little water on his head. He shook his head free of it, and left her alone. After she was done with her shower, she padded around in the house in her pajamas, liking the feeling of it. Ashley was so glad she would have more chances to do this during the summer. Actually, hopefully she wouldn't! She'd give up a million evenings of this to be in that Doctor Who competition. She went in her room, and ungracefully dumped her clothes on her floor. A pathetic, startled meow caused her to turn around, and what she'd thought was her pair of furry slippers turned out to be her cat Mickey.

"Oh, you poor kitty." She said, scooping him up and freeing him from her underwear. "So sorry." Ashley hugged him to her chest as she picked up her laptop and phone, going into the living room. She deposited him on the couch next to them, and went to make that tub of popcorn she'd gotten the other night. She'd been so busy lately that she hadn't had a chance to watch the movie she rented. That went on her list of stuff to do that night. As the popcorn popped, she made a tall glass of chocolate milk, and put her phone on speaker, listening to her messages. Mostly it was short stuff, like the library reminding her of an overdue book. She grimaced as she pulled her box of Milk Duds out of the cabinet. She should have taken care of that while she was at the library that day. There were a couple telemarketers, and one message from Nora.

"Hey, honey badger, I wanted to know if I could kidnap you tomorrow night for an End-of-the-School-Year party/sleepover I'm having. Be sure to bring some change, we might go laser tagging. Call me back!"

Ashley made a note to herself to text her father once settled down. There was one last message, and it was really strange. It made her freeze and listen intently. There was a lot of static, and what sounded like...Lasers...Being fired. At the end of the static, one thing came out very clearly.

"Ex-ter-min-ate!"

Ashley gave her phone a strange look, then laughed nervously out loud to herself. It had to be a friend playing a joke on her. She pulled the popcorn out of the microwave, and shook the Milk Duds into it, trying to shake off the strange chill she'd gotten. Carrying the phone under her armpit as she carried the popcorn and milk over to the couch, she set them down on the coffee table, and looked at her phone screen. It came from an unidentified number, but any of her friends could have blocked their number to prank her. She pressed the call back button, and, at first, there was just silence, then it began ringing. After a moment, her house phone started ringing. Not paying any attention to the coincidence, she set her phone down, and answered it.

"Poole residence." She said. There was no response. "Hello? Hello!" Her phone said hello behind her, and Ashley turned, slowly furrowing her eyebrows. She picked up her phone, and held it to her other ear. "Hello?" She said into her home phone again, and her voice said hello in her cell. The strange chill was back, and she hung both phones up quickly. The was...Curious. So the Dalek call came from her house. Very curious. She looked at the time the call came in, and it read around the time she'd be in third period in school, and she knew then that the call didn't come from her father. He left for work each day shortly after she started second period. She had a feeling no friend of theirs had stopped by after he'd left just to prank call her.

She plopped down onto the couch, pulling the lightweight blanket on the back of the couch over her feet. Whenever Ashley got spooked, she just had to for some reason cover her feet. "Ian!" She called for her dog. The Cocker Spaniel bounced happily into the living room, jumping up next to her on the couch and pressed his body against her side, wedging his head under her hand, wanting to be petted. Obviously her mood did not damper his at all. She scratched his ears, distracted, and then hesitantly got up to put in the rented movie to play.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)

Oh, my, Author did some self advertising. Yes, that elusive Purple is me. ;)

FanFiction - danceydancetime

deviantArt - theimpracticalgirl

Tumblr - theimpracticalgirl

Feel free to talk to me on these sites!


	5. Chapter 5

School had been out for three days. Ashley had been spending most of her time editing her video she was going to submit to the contest. Nora came over once, and read the Doctor's lines for her, and gave little suggestions on facial expressions or voice effects. Nora was impressed with the effort her friend put into this. "You're so going to win." She said. Ashley grinned at her. "I doubt it, but it's been fun." Nora shook her head. "No, seriously. I bet you anything that you're gonna win." She grinned at her friend. "Thank you! That's sweet." Nora spent the night that day, and Ashley was grateful for the company. She was still spooked about what had happened a few days earlier with her phone. It had just been so... So strange!

A few days after that, Ashley had all the lights in her house off, having been alone for a few hours. Her father went out for a drink with his friends. Her head hurt really bad for some reason, and she was attempting to go to sleep so it'd go away. Ian was asleep under her bed, his back feet sticking out from under the bed skirt, and Mickey was sleeping draped across her stomach. Why was it that her pets could sleep, but not her? She got up, and went into her bathroom, getting a couple of headache reliever pills from her medicine cabinet.

Leaving the bathroom light on and not turning any other lights on, she went into the kitchen for a glass of water. She was swallowing the pills when the bathroom light flickered, and went out. Ashley instantly froze, staring unseeingly at where the light of the bathroom should be projecting out into the hall. She quietly set her glass down on the kitchen cabinet, startling herself at the light clink it made when the glass clicked against the marble. She never took her eyes off of the hall for some reason, backing up to turn on the kitchen light. The switch was next to the fridge. She bumped into the fridge, and put her hand behind her. She flicked the light switch on, but no light came on.

Ashley's heart began to hammer in her chest. Her body became uncomfortably warm, and her skin pricked as her hair on her neck and arms raised up. Something she couldn't see was scaring her, and badly. She spooked herself sometimes, but never this bad. Maybe it was the kitchen light, because only an hour before it worked fine. She scooted to her right, going to turn on the little light above the stove. That didn't worked either. Neither did the light above the sink. She even went so far as to open the oven, the microwave, the fridge, but no light. She never took her eyes off of the hall, hardly daring to blink.

Swallowing, she opened her mouth. The words struggled to get out, and she swallowed a few times again to wet her dry throat. "Who-Who's there?" Ashley called. "I know you there! Come where I can see you!" She instantly regretted the words as soon as she said them. She didn't really want to see them! She began trembling. "Ian! Come here, boy!" She shouted, backing up into the corner of the kitchen counters. No response came from the dog. "Ian! Ian, doggie, come here!" Her voice was shaky. There was a bump in the hall, and Ashley jumped, seeing a shape moving in the hall. She heard the familiar click of Ian's nail on the tile in the hall a moment later, and as he came out of the hall, the light in the bathroom came back on, and the light above the stove and the overhead kitchen light did, too. She jumped, and then started to cry, crouching down and wrapping her arms around the Spaniel. "Oh, good baby." She said, burying her face in his silky fur. The dog began wiggling, trying to lick her salty face.

Ashley giggled nervously, her heart still fluttering in her chest. She rubbed behind Ian's ears. "You amazing dog. Let me get you a treat." At the word, he barked excitedly once. The noise startled her, but it seemed to chase away even more of her fear. She laughed again, this time less nervously, and opened a cabinet and got out a piece of chicken jerky and treated Ian. She was still in the kitchen, about to go back to her room, somewhat anxious about going into the hall when something made her freeze. The kitchen shouldn't have been so dark, there was a light post outside in front of the house, and it always cast light into the kitchen at night. She turned her head slowly, and looked out the window over the sink at the dark lamp outside. She let out a shaky side, her unfocused eyes tying to distinguish a figure standing under the lamp when the light came on. Her eyes swept up to look at the illuminated bulb, and she looked back under the lamp, wondering what she had been trying to see.

X

Three days later, Ashley was outside in her backyard, sitting on a swing in a little jungle gym her father had built her when she was younger, pushing herself back with her feet and gently swinging forward, her feet dragging in the dirt. She decided that she needed more air, or something, after what had happened the other night, and pushed herself out of the swing, pulling her coverup over her head. She crossed the grass, and went over to the gate that separated the grass from the pool area. They had the gate so Ian wouldn't fall in without them there. The dog loved water, and swam with Ashley's father an her whenever they went in.

She tested the water, and took the time to clear the water surface of leaves and bugs with the net before jumping in from the little diving board by the deep end. She shivered as she broke the surface, but it felt nice. This had to be the first time she'd been in the pool since school got out. She floated on the surface, letting the sun color her skin when she heard a whistle. She opened an eye, flipping over in the water so she could look around. Nora was waving at her from the side gate. Ashley waved back, and Nora came in. She was wearing her own swim suit, and had a towel draped over her shoulder and sunscreen in her hand. She kicked her flip flops off on the pool deck, and dropped her towel on a lounge chair as she squeezed sunscreen into her hand. "I called, but your dad answered your phone. He said you were out swimming, and said I could come over."

Ashley nodded. "Boy, you're all sweaty! It's hot, but did you really sweat that much on the walk up our drive?" She laughed, assuming she'd gotten a ride here. Nora cracked a smile, and her red face looked more like a blush than from the sun. "I walked here from Mike's house." Ashley looked at her, shocked. She recovered quickly. "Oooh! You spent the night, didn't you!" Nora made a face. "Don't announce it to the neighbors!" She scowled, but looked pleased. "How long?" Nora, slipped into the pool. "We've going out since last Wednesday." Ashley clapped her hands, delighted. "So. Cute. I told you that he'd ask you out eventually." Nora shrugged. "Actually, I asked him out." Ashley cocked an eyebrow at her. "I got tired of waiting, and I was on a little YOLO spree, so I asked him out. Turns out he'd wanted to ask me out, but was worried about what my brother would think since they're friends." Ashley swam over to her, and gave her a hug. "Congrats! You two were meant to be." Nora looked pleased. "You think so?" She nodded. "Know so."

x

Nora spent the night again that night, and they stayed up until one in the morning talking about Derek and Ashley's upcoming birthday. "What are you going to do?" Nora asked. Ashley shrugged. "I'm either going to have a party at the roller rink or a little barbecue at the lake." Nora pursed her lips. "Roller skating is cool, but some of our friends aren't that great. I think a barbecue is cool." Ashley nodded. "Yeah, I think I might do that." They didn't talk much after that, and Ashley eventually dropped off to sleep, and Nora stayed up on Tumblr on Nora's iPod.

After an hour, Nora got up to get a bottle of water from the kitchen fridge. She flipped on the living room light, and let out a shriek. Ashley jolted awake, confused, but alert. She noticed immediately that Nora wasn't in the bed next to her anymore, so she scrambled out of bed and into the hall. "Nora! What is it?" She demanded, wide eyed. Nora was staring horrified at something by the fridge, in the darkness of the doorway that lead into the hall that would lead to her father's bedroom and the office. She turned away from it, and looked at Ashley, blinking once, dazed. "I...Don't know. What just happened?" Ashley went over to her friend and looked at the doorway. Nothing was there. Nora looked back at it. "You screamed. I just got up to check on you." Ashley said.

Nora let out her breath. "I think I'm just tired. I thought something was there, but...Eh, I forget or whatever. I'm just going back to bed." Nora turned, and padded back to Ashley's bedroom. Ashley's dad came down the hall, appearing in the doorway. "What happened?" He asked, blinking and ruffled with sleep. "Uh...Nora saw Mickey, and he startled her." She lied. He nodded, still half asleep, and went back down the hall. Ashley looked a moment longer at the darkness, and then turned, turning off the living room light and feeling that strange chill again creeping up her spine.

X

Nora went home the next morning, and Ashley cheerfully waved her goodbye, the event left in the darkness of the night. She spent the day lazily texting Derek, and stayed up late on the internet. She'd submitted her video that day, and was too jittery to sleep. She finally dropped off, leaving the computer playing a Doctor Who episode. Amy Pond was inside an orphanage, and the noise the Silence made filled Ashley's ears through her headphones, making her shiver in her sleep.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Ashley's birthday came up in six days after Nora spent the night. They'd gone down to the lake, and about eleven of Ashley's other friends came. Well, it was more of six friends and their boyfriends and girlfriends. They had pizza while sitting on the floating dock in the middle of the lake, and went swimming after a while. They would have had hamburgers and hotdogs, but it appeared that Ashley's father was the one male on Earth who had absolutely no flair for a grill, and nobody really wanted to bother with it because it was too hot. They swam until the sun went down, then finally got the little grill going so they could roast marshmallows and have smores. They lit sparklers, and ran around in the trees around the lake, playing hide and seek in the dark. The gang eventually went back to Ashley's house, and they all camped out in the backyard.

None of them could sleep because of all the soda they'd drunk, so they turned on the batter powered camping lantern, and all sat around it in their sleeping bags in a circle. For a while they just talked, then they headed towards the topic all teenage slumber parties talked about. Ghost stories. These two brothers, and their girlfriends, swore they'd all been in a haunting the first night of summer vacation.

"Yeah, right." Ashley scoffed, scooping Ian up and holding him inside of her blanket. He'd come out to keep her company for the night. The oldest brother, Kris, shook his head.

"It's true! Sarah and Michelle," The girlfriends of the brothers. "can both tell you!" The girls nodded, letting their boyfriends tell the story as they clung to their respective man's arm. David, the youngest, leaned forward. "You know about Smokey Hill, right?"

Smokey Hill wasn't really a hill, but was actually was an old house that had burned down twenty years ago. It'd never been rebuilt, and was now just a burnt out hull of a mansion. Ashley nodded. "Everyone in the area knows about it." She said.

David looked pleased. "Well, Kris has this blog where he-" His brother shoved him. "My story, bro!" He said, irritated. David shrugged, and leaned back. "Well." Kris said, glancing at his little bro. "I have a blog called 'Shame the Non-Believer'. It's basically where teenagers in our area can talk about ghost and paranormal stuff. There was this one comment from a kid in my old history class daring me to spend the night in Smokey Hill, and if I made it through the night, she'd pay me 20 bucks." He grinned, and looked smug. "I filmed the whole night just to prove it."

David butted in. "I wanted to go with him, and Sasha and Michelle heard about it, so they came, too. It was pretty cool. Once you go past the bugs and plants and stuff, it was pretty neat being able to look up through the ceiling and see the sky. Well, halfway through the night, something broke in one of the other rooms." Kris took control again of his story.

"It sounded like someone had stepped on, I don't know, a branch, and it snapped. It was definitely caused by something heavy, I knew instantly it was more than just a raccoon or something." He said. The girls in the group shifted uneasily, all leaning towards their boyfriends, and girlfriends. Nora scooted closer the Ashley, and reached over to pet Ian. The darkness was adding to the effect of the story, and the shadows the lantern cast spooked them. "Go on." Ashley prodded.

"Well, I got up, and took a flashlight. I went to where I heard the noise, and, like, five seconds later the girls screamed. I ran back, and David ran back, too, he'd followed after me. The girls were all, 'Something just blocked the moonlight.' or whatever, something like that. It wasn't like a cloud had passed overhead, the sky was clear. It was more like something had stood above them and blocked their view."

Sasha nodded. "I swear, it was like some person, or at least a really tall thing was there. My heart was just pounding, you know? I swore I saw something. I screamed at it, then Michelle screamed because I scared her. I, like, looked at her, then I was all, 'What just happened?' It was like I had no idea what I saw, I just knew it was freaky." Michelle nodded rapidly at her friend.

Ashley felt the strange chill crawl up her spine again, and she leaned in close to whisper to Nora. "...He's a good storyteller." She said. Her friend nodded ever so slightly, spooked herself. Kris stood up. "There was this freaky chattering or hissing noise all around us, and I was all, 'Whoever the heck you are, get lost! Nobody scares my girl.' They left us alone after that." He struck a cheesy macho pose, and the scary effect was lost. The window to Ashley's father's room slid open.

"Kris? Is that you? Keep it down! The neighbor just called to complain." He said sternly, closing his window again. The group laughed, and settled back down. After a while they resorted to speaking quietly to one another instead of in a group, and everything seemed fine until the lantern suddenly went out. Nora, Michelle, and Ashley let out a shriek at the sudden darkness, and one of the boys shouted. Ashley thought it was Derek, and she giggled. "Batteries must be dead." She declared. "I'll go get some more." She slid out of her sleeping bag somewhat reluctantly, and carefully made her way back into the house through the sliding door, using her phone as a light. She felt around for the light switch in the kitchen, the one by the fridge, and flipped it on. Instantly her body froze, her skin getting goosebumps's. She blinked, and then furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what she was so spooked at. She got the batteries, and hurriedly flipped the light off, going back outside. She changed the batteries, and then snuggled into her bag again. Everyone had seemed to have fallen asleep.

As Ashley tried to fall asleep herself, she thought to herself. It was funny. Everyone had been awake when she left, and she'd only been gone a minute to get more batteries. How could everyone have fallen asleep so quickly? It had to be later than she thought. She turned her phone on the check the time, then blinked. Her phone was open to a sound recording. After a moment of hesitation, she played it quietly, holding it next to her ear.

"Silence...Will still fall..." The phone whispered into her ear. Ashley was so startled that she slammed the phone down under her pillow. Something next to her shifted, and she looked sharply at it. It was just Ian, and he crept over to her, his ears pinned back and his body low to the ground, his tail wagging. "Oh, silly boy." She whispered. She invited him into the sleeping bag, and he settled his furry body inside the bag, his wagging tail making the blanket shift. Ashley scratched behind his ears.

She must have left her phone on the recording part earlier. She knew she had a Silence recording that she'd used for a while as a text alert. As she started to pass out from exhaustion, she had one thought occur in her mind, but she would forget it when she woke up. The term the Silence used in Doctor Who was "Silence will fall." There had never been a Still mentioned in the show...

x

Everyone slept in late, and when the sun was too bright to be ignore, they all got up. They'd been having too much fun in the water that they never got around to the cake and presents, so they decided to have the cake for breakfast and have Ashley open her presents before they all had to go. Her father sipped at a cup of coffee as she retrieved the cake from the fridge. He wrinkled his nose at her. "Cake for breakfast?" He asked. "Way too much sugar for me. You teenagers have stomachs of steel." Ashley smirked as she stacked a knife, paper plates, napkins, and forks on top of the cake container. "You don't have to have any." She said, going outside. Her father shook his head, and set the coffee mug down as he picked up her accidentally forgotten matches and candles from the kitchen table, following her outside.

They put the candles in the cake, and lit them, signing Happy Birthday to Ashley. She pretended to hide behind her paper plate, and giggled. "Aw, shucks." She said in a silly voice after they were done. She thought for a moment, and then blew out the candles. Everyone laughed and clapped. While everyone was munching on the cake, white chocolate frosting with chocolate raspberry cake, her father brought out the presents. Ashley took one look at the little pile, then hid under her blanket.

"Oh, you guys, I-Bah!" She kicked her feet, getting a fit of the feels. Nora laughed, and yanked the blanket away. "Open mine first." She demanded, still laughing. Ashley gave her a look, and then rolled her eyes. "I think I'll open your last now." The other teens laughed as her friend pouted. She opened the gift from David and Sasha first. They'd gotten her, surprise, surprise, a Doctor Who themed gift. She didn't mind, not in the slightest! It was a t-shirt that was designed to look like the once popular Nyan Cat video, but with a TARDIS instead of the ridiculous pop tart cat. Ashley laughed, and imitated the song until her father came up behind her and covered her mouth to get her to stop. He'd experienced that annoying song enough when it was first discovered.

Kris and Michelle had gotten her a shirt, too. "My other ride is the TARDIS." Ashley read. "I wish!" They laughed. Her other friends got her other cool stuff, like a necklace with a little bottle with sand and tiny seashells in it as a pendant, a jar of lemon drops, her favorite candy, and a super cute white eyelet lace dress. "I am so wearing this the first day of school." Ashley vowed. Some friends just got her a card with maybe a gift card or simple money inside, and all the cards were filled with memories they'd all shared. "I swear, I'll keep these forever, and when I'm in my deathbed, I'll read these and remember the best birthday party ever." She said, clutching the cards to her chest after she read them all.

True to her word, Ashley opened Nora's present last. Once she cleared the tissue paper, she froze, her eyes wide and her mouth forming an O. "No. Way." She said. Nora looked smug. "Way." Ashley lifted out a pair of high top Converse sneakers, painted blue with the Doctor Who logo on the inside heels. A TARDIS was painted on the left toe, a Dalek on the right. A Sonic Screwdriver, the Eleventh Doctor's Sonic, to be exact, stretched across both shoes, and a weeping angel hid behind her hands on the outside part of her right shoe, while a bow tie and fez were painted on the outside left part. White stars dotted the remaining empty space.

"These are relevant to my interests." Ashley murmured. "How could you! I can never wear these!" She fake sobbed. "I'm glad you like them." Nora said. "Don't like...Love." She carefully put them back in their box, and stared at her presents until she looked back up, tearing up. "Alright, awkward group hug time!" She shouted. They laughed, and all tried to hug each other, squishing Ashley in the middle. "Alright! Enough awkward!" She gaped, wiggling out. She laughed until her stomach hurt.

x

One by one, or rather, two by two in the dating cases, and four in the related case, they all went home. Eventually it was just her, Nora, and Derek left. Nora gave her friend a big bear hug. "Happy Birthday!" She wished her one last time before going down the drive to her mother's car. Derek shuffled awkwardly behind her until she turned around. "So, hey, did you have fun?" Ashley asked, smiling. He nodded. "Yeah! It was great...Um, hey, you haven't opened my gift." He said. She covered her mouth with her hands. "You're kidding! I'm sorry, I must have skipped over it in the wrapping paper-" He shook his head. "I..Wanted to give it to you in private." He said. He pulled a small box from his pocket, wrapped in a comic paper from the newspaper. She smiled at the cuteness of it.

Ashley shook it lightly and listened to the noise before opening it. She opened the box, and stared at it before blushing. "Wow, Derek, you shouldn't have..." Was all she said. He'd gotten her a silver necklace with a little diamond pendant. It had to be worth 100 dollars. He shrugged. "I wanted to get you something nice." He muttered. "It is! I love it!" She exclaimed, holding it close to her chest. "Really?" She nodded rapidly. "I do, very much. Thank you, so much." He looked a bit pleased, and then swung his leg over his bike, he'd ridden to her house the day before. "Uhm, yeah... Happy birthday..." He said uncertainly. He leaned over, and kissed her on the check quickly before pushing off, pedaling down the street before she could react.

Ashley stared after him, dumbfounded. A steady blush worked it's way up her neck as she watched him turn the corner, out of sight. She smiled.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Three days after her party, Ashley was poking about in a store, looking for a belt that would go good with her new dress. Her phone rang in her pocket as she stood in front of a mirror, seeing what a shirt would look like on her. She hung the shirt up on the rack, and answered. "Hello?" She asked, poking distractedly through the discount rack. "Is this Ashley Poole?" A voice asked. She paused. "Yes, this is she." She said. "Yes, my name is Lauren Foster. I'm with BBC America." The woman said. Her heart began nervously fluttering. "Yes? How can I help you?" Ashley asked after a moment. "Recently we had a contest for a teenager to be featured in an upcoming Doctor Who episode, and we received your video. This is the correct girl?" Ashley swallowed. "Yeah, I entered." Was all she could reply. "We much enjoyed your video. Would it be possible for you to visit our office in New York?" The woman asked. "Uh...Possibly...I'd have to ask my father...I'm at a store." She lamely said. "Of course! Give me a call once you have an answer. Can you write my number down?"

"I have caller ID, your number is already on my phone." Ashley said. "Good. When you call back, ask for Lauren Foster, alright?" Ashley nodded for a moment before she dumbly realized she was on the phone. "Yeah, sure! Of course." The woman laughed. "Alright. I'll expect your call." She said, sounding like she was about to hang up. "Wait!" Ashley exclaimed. "Yes?" Lauren asked. "Uhm..." Ashley laughed nervously. "Uhm, does this mean...I won?" The woman chuckled. "In a way, yes. We need to make sure you can go through all the way first, but, yes." Ashley blinked, starting to hurriedly walk out of the store, the belt forgotten. "Alright. Yeah, I'll call later today." She said goodbye to Lauren Foster, and made it to the bench where her bike was chained before letting out a yell.

"YES! OH, MY GOD!" She squealed.

X

Ashley pedaled home as fast as she could, dropping her bike on the front lawn and running inside. "Dad! Dad, where are you?" She shouted breathlessly. Her father appeared a moment later in the hall doorway leading to his office, a pen still clutched in his hand. "What is it?" He asked frantically, fearing she'd hurt herself. She threw herself at him, hugging him and jumping up and down. "I won! The contest, Doctor Who, I won, I won!" She squealed. He put his hands on her shoulders, and pushed her back so he could look at her. "What? One word at a time."

Ashley stopped jumping, and took a deep breath, though her heart still fluttered nervously and she shook finely. "Alright. I was at the store, see, looking for a belt, and I get this call! It's a women named Lauren Foster, and she's with BBC America. She said they liked my video, and they want me to come visit their office in New York! Don't you see, Dad? I won! I'll get to be in a Doctor Who episode!" She squealed again excitedly.

His eyebrows went up. She actually won? He hadn't expected that. He was quiet for a moment, thinking. His silence made her pause in her rejoicing. "...Dad? What do you say?" She asked. "Can we go to New York?" Her face paled. "I mean, I know that's a big trip, and going to London is going to be expensive, but, come on, Dad! This is a once in a life time chance! How many people get to do this? I mean-" He held up a finger to get her to quiet. "...Did this Foster leave a number?" He asked after a moment. Her face brightened, and she pulled out her phone, writing Lauren Foster's number down on a piece of paper. He looked at it, then went into his office. Ashley followed him until he closed the door, telling her in that way that she needed to let him talk alone with the adults.

X

Ashley paced her floor nervously. Her father had been on the phone for an hour. For a moment, she was tempted to pick up the phone in her room to listen in on the conversation, but she decided against it. She had to remain in her father's good side. Ian was sprawled out on her bedroom floor, following her pacing with his eyes.

Ashley's body felt warm with anxiety, and she finally stopped abruptly, stomping her foot with a groan. She couldn't deal with this. She went out of her room and across the house, going to her father's office. She raised her hand to knock on the door, but the door opened before she could touch the wood. Her father seemed surprised that she was there, but grinned. "Well." He said. "...Well?" Ashley asked in a tiny voice. He just studied her, and then his eyes crinkled up at the edges. "Well, Miss Future TV Star. We've got a ticket to buy." Her eyes opened as wide as they'd ever, and she hugged him in a death vice. "Oh my God!" She screamed into her arm as she squeezed him.

X

Ashley finally calmed down after a while, and was laying on her back on her bed, holding her stuffed Dalek plush to her chest as she stared, unblinkingly, at the ceiling. Her glee was over, and was replaced with a general buzzing that felt like she'd drunk ten cups of coffee. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe it. She felt like she'd wake up any moment, disappointed. No, this was real. She'd pinched herself too many times for it to be a dream. She let out a long, content sigh, dreamily reaching for her cell phone. She dialed Nora, and held the phone up to her ear, still staring up at the ceiling.

"Hello?" Nora answered. "How much do I owe you?" Ashley asked. "Huh?" Nora sounded confused. "You'd said you'd bet me anything that I'd win the Doctor Who contest. How much do I owe you?" Nora was silent, the meaning behind this sinking in. "...! Wait. Does this seriously mean..?" Ashley giggled. "Yes." Nora sucked in air. "No. Way." Ashley's toes curled, starting to grin. "Way!" Nora let out a scream on the other side. Her mother sounded like she ran in the room, and asked what happened. Nora dropped the phone, and ran away from it to her mom. "Ashley's gonna be in Doctor Who!" She shouted excitedly, her muffled voice coming through the phone. Ashley laughed until Nora came back. "Tell me everything." She demanded. Ashley sat up in her bed, crossing her legs. "Alright. I was at the store when I got the call..."

x

The next two days passed in a confusing blurry daze. They were going to leave for the airport at three in the morning, and they had a lot to do. Her father took a few days from work so he could go, and they arranged for Nora to come over and take care of Ian and Mickey while they were gone, and her mother would look after the house and garden, and pick up the mail and such. Ashley packed up her backpack, now empty of school stuff, with clothes for a few days and her other necessities, and went to bed early that night. She didn't fall asleep until nine, and the morning came too quickly. She said goodbye to her pets, still partially asleep, and dozed in the cab on her father's arm as they rode to the airport. She noticed, half asleep, that the world looked deserted at this hour. There was only one other car in sight on the freeway.

They ate in the airport, and Ashley began to wake up with her second cup of coffee as the plane was being prepared for flight. She took the window seat on the plane, and leaned her forehead on the side, watching as they went down the taxi way, picking up speed. She chomped on gum as they departed, her ears popping as they gained altitude. For the beginning part of the flight, she sat quietly as she watched the ground get smaller and smaller, until it was no longer visible and they were in the clouds.

Ashley hadn't been in a plane since a few years before her mother had died. She'd sat in the window seat then, too, and held her mother's hand as she fearfully watched the ground drop away, scared, but fascinated. Her family traveled a lot when she was still alive...A light snore made her blink out of her reminiscing, and she turned to look at her dad. It could have been from their early morning, but even from her memories as a small child, her father fell asleep right after takeoff. She smiled, and plugged her iPod in her ears once the stewardess said they could use electronics.

"Blogging from 20,000 feet. ;)"

She posted on Tumblr. She instantly got a like on that from Nora, and some of her friends excitedly reblogged her. She talked with them until her head started to hurt suddenly. She turned her music down, and asked for a cup of coffee when a steward came by to ask if they wanted anything to drink. Her father had woken up by then, and was reading. He asked for a glass of water, and the steward nodded, going on down the isle. Ashley blinked repeatedly, trying to clear her head of the sudden pain. The coffee, when it came, helped subside it partially. It persisted throughout the rest of the flight, and even through the wait at the next airport. A ringing began in her ears as soon as they touched down, and Ashley felt sick. While her father waited with their stuff, she went to the bathroom to wash her face down with cool water.

She was the only one in the bathroom, and she leaned her head against the cool tile wall before using the bathroom. After she washed her hands, she splashed water on her face, and blindly took a towel, wiping her face. She straightened up, and looked at the mirror. She let out a shriek, and spun around. Her heart was hammering, but nothing was there. She must be tired. Shaking her head, she tossed the towel in the trash and exited the bathroom. A moment after she left, one of the stall doors in the corner swung open slowly.

X

On the next flight, Ashley felt much better. She opened a sandwich she'd bought in the airport, and chewed on it while she watched the scenery change under them. The land faded from country and farm, to small towns, to more country, to buildings and skyscrapers. They landed, and Ashley's heart began fluttering. They were in New York, the Big Apple. People teamed in the airport, and it was an exciting hassle to get a taxi. They stopped by the hotel they were to stay at, and both father and daughter took a much appreciated nap before grabbing something to eat. They were both starving after the airport food. "If you can call that sandwich you had food." He scoffed.

Ashley had woken up confused the next morning at all the noise outside their hotel window. For a moment she had no idea where she was, then it all came back in a dizzying rush. She got up before her father, and went to take a shower. She luxuriated in the hot water, letting it relax her sore muscles. Ashley took time to shave and then she wash her hair, and scrubbed her whole body. She even used conditioner on her hair. She was going to look her best when at the interview. She'd worn the dress she'd gotten at her birthday, and curled her hair into cute ringlets, pushing it back out of her face with a white hairband. By the time her father was ready, Ashley had been awake for hours. In addition to curling her hair, she'd put on light makeup, just using a foundation, light eyeshadow, mascara, and lip gloss. After a moment of deliberation she put on a little blush.

She was so nervous. She wanted to make the absolute best first impression. Ashley'd brushed and flossed her teeth twice after eating, and even used mouth wash. She wore her better bra that made her chest look very nice, and even given herself a little mani/pedi by filing her nails and smoothing away any old nail polish and pushing her cuticles back. Her father wanted to get going, so she grabbed her purse, and slipped on her cute sandals, the ones that had white eyelet material on the straps that wrapped around her ankles.

Her father looked at her, amused. "You went all out." He said. She shrugged, sucking on a mint as they rode in a taxi to Lauren Foster's office. "I just want to look nice." Ashley said, staring straight ahead at the back of the taxi driver's seat. "You do. Very grown up." He said, giving the top of her head a kiss. "Dad!" She objected, leaning away and touching her hair carefully. "You'll mess my hair up." He held his hands up in defeat. "Sorry!" He said, chuckling. He settled back in his seat, and watched his grown up daughter from the side of his eye. She was nervous, he could tell. After years of raising her, he'd noticed the way she would tap her toes anxiously, and the way she chewed on the inside of her bottom lip and twisted the handle of her purse. She'd grown up so quickly, and beautifully. He sighed, and turned his head to look outside the window. One more birthday had passed, making the time when she would leave him alone while she made her way out into the world come ever closer. Now this chance could possibly give her acting career that little boost she needed, and she'd be flying away sooner than he wanted to go to some out of state fancy acting school. He managed a smile to his nervous daughter as they pulled up to the curb, not letting her see how nervous he was, too.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	8. Chapter 8

They sat in the waiting area of Lauren Foster's office while she finished up with another client. Ashley was fidgety, and got up twice to use the bathroom and make sure she still looked good. Her father reached over and took her hand when she started to get up for the third time. She looked down, startled, then sighed, giving him a grateful smile as she sat back down. The office door opened then, and a middle age, dark haired women in a spiffy business suit came out. She looked around the waiting area, and then settled on Ashley and her father. With a pleasant smile, she went over to them.

"Good afternoon! You must be Ashley." She smiled, and held out her hand. Ashley took it lightly, and gave it a shake. "How do you do." She asked shyly. "Very well! Thank you. You must be Mr. Poole." She turned to her father and shook his hand, too. "Sorry for the wait! Come one in." She ushered the two into her office. Her father waited until Lauren Foster and his daughter had sat, then sat down himself. Ashley sat uncomfortably on the edge of her chair, to nervous to relax. Lauren smiled at her. "Well, Ashley, are you excited?" She asked. Ashley nodded, her curls bouncing. "Yes! This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me." She said. She was surprised that such a long sentence could possibly come out of her at this point in time. Lauren laughed. "I can imagine! You're a very lucky young lady. Might I say you look very nice, too?" She complimented.

Lauren could tell the girl was nervous. She smiled when the girl colored at her comment, and then laughed lightly. "It's nice to see a girl of your age take time to look so nice. Many of the young women I see walking around New York don't dress very appropriately, but you never heard me say that." Ashley giggled, and nodded. "Alright." She said, smiling comfortably for the first time. Mission successful, Lauren had gotten her to relax a bit. She leaned back in her own chair, and crossed her legs.

"Well! Let's get down to business. I'm sure you realize what a big opportunity, and task, this is going to be." She said. "Millions of teenagers tried out, and we had to choose just one. Now, if you do not wish to do this, or can't, we have others we can choose, but the producers agreed on you, Ashley Poole. How does this make you feel?" She smiled. Ashley giggled nervously, the butterflies in her stomach threatening to come out of her mouth. "Amazing. Just absolutely fantastic." She said in a shy voice. "This is...Well, just fantastic." Lauren smiled and nodded. "Now. If you are to go through, let's talk details. Mr. Poole, first I must ask if it would be alright with you for your daughter to take about a month out of her normal life to do this." She said. "This is all relying on your consent." He thought for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Ashley has been into acting ever since she was little, she has been in every school production since kindergarten and has been in several community theater performances." He said. "As college get closer, we've discussed her going to a high quality acting school, and I believe that an opportunity like this would do very well for that, and for a future job." Lauren Foster nodded, agreeing with him. "Exactly. You never know, something like this could land her an immediate acting career." Ashley sat up straight in her chair. What?

They talked for a good half hour about how this could effect her future, and about how this would all work out. For the most part, Ashley got a positive vibe from them. She tuned out for a bit, staring out the window down at the already busy street below them. She looked at the old building across the street, and studied the angel statues that were above the entrance. It looked like some sort of cathedral or something. "Alright! It's settled then." Lauren said, sounding pleased.

Ashley tore her eyes away, and figured out she'd blanked out for almost twenty minutes. She looked at her father shyly. "Uhm..." She said softly clearing her throat. "What's settled?" He turned to face her, and gave her his brightest smile. "You've a lot to do before next Friday." She froze, looking at him, not believing, her eyebrows raised. "No. Way." She whispered. He chuckled. "As you and Nora say, way." She jumped up out of her chair without thinking, and did a little happy dance, her dress flouncing around her and her curls bobbing. "OMG!" She breathed out, too exited to squeal. She remembered herself, and sat down suddenly, her face red. "Uhm, sorry." She said, ducking her head. Lauren Foster laughed. "It's quite alright! You have every excuse to be excited." She said. She turned to talk to Ashley's father once they got up, shaking hands and talking about more details.

Ashley slipped out in the hall to call Nora. This couldn't wait. Nora answered the phone, sounding like she was chewing something. "Grey's Pest Control and Home Cannery. We kill the rats and help you can them for next year's Thanksgiving." She greeted. "Nora, that's gross." Ashley said, bemused. Nora choked on her her food. "Ash? OMG. How is it going?" She asked. "I'm going." She had to keep her voice down as she was inside a building. "WHAT." They talked excitedly for a minute, and Ashley flipped her hair back, a ringlet was getting in her mouth. She paused as she did, noticing something. "Uhm, I'm gonna need to call you back." She said. "What? No, this is too good!" Nora protested.

Two people were walking up the stairs to the second level of the building, and were making their way over to Ashley, or rather, Lauren Foster's office probably. One was an older man, with white hair and a grandfatherly body, and the other was... "Honestly, I'll call you back." She quietly hung up as the two got closer. "Matt. Smith." She whispered under her breath.

X

The two men were talking softly, but they appeared to be excited about something. "Yes, this is going to a lot of fun. It's unusual, but change it good." Ashley heard Matt say. "Yes. We thought it'd be good for publicity..." She backed up as they passed her. Matt noticed her, and gave her a grin and a, "Good afternoon!" Her heart thumped, and she meekly said afternoon in return. They turned, and went inside of Lauren Foster's office. Ashley trembled, and after a moment of hesitation, followed them inside to stand with her father.

As she got in, Lauren Foster was introducing her father to Matt. "This is Mr. Poole, he's the father of the young lady who won the contest." She was saying. Her father and Matt shook hands. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Smith." He said. "My daughter is quite a fan." He glanced around. "She'd just stepped into the hall..." Ashley slipped around the older man and Matt, and stood somewhat behind her father. "Here she is! Look, Ashley." Oh, boy, she was looking.

Matt raised his eyebrows at her, and then started laughing. The other adults looked at him curiously, and Ashley felt like she wanted to melt and sink into the floor. "I'd thought you were a new office aid when I passed you." He chuckled after a moment. The other adults laughed. "Well, it's lovely to meet you, Miss Ashley Poole." He held out his hand, and Ashley stared at it for a moment, then took it, shaking hands with him. She looked at her hand after that. "I...Just shook hands...With Matt Smith." She whispered to herself. The adults heard her, and laughed heartily. Her face burned, and she ducked behind her father like she was a little girl. "Oh, no, Ashley." Lauren said. "Don't hide. It was just cute." She said.

Ashley gulped, and stepped back out. "I hadn't expected you here, Matt." Lauren was saying to him. "Yes, I was just on some business..." Ashley's body vibrated from where he shook her hand and out. This was the best day ever. She turned, and looked out the window again, looking down at the cathedral door. She noticed with some alarm that the angels she thought were above the door were actually on the second balcony, closer to the window where she stood. Her father said her name, and she turned around.

"It was very nice to meet you, Ashley." Matt said, smiling. "I think we're going to have fun in filming, don't you?" He asked. She nodded. "This is going to be brilliant!" She gushed. It was hard to be awkward around her favorite person. He laughed. "Exactly! Well, I sadly have some business to attend to. I trust to see you in London?" She nodded. Oh, yes, she was going to see him in London.

X

They said goodbye, and Ashley and her father left, getting a taxi back to the hotel. They passed the cathedral on the way back, and she forced herself to look up at the angels. She felt a cold pang of fear when she saw that the angels were standing on either side of the great door. She watched them as they passed, time seeming to slow, and she tore her eyes away as they passed. "Isn't this amazing, Ashley?" He father was saying. "Yeah...Fantastic..."

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)

P.S.: Aren't you all lucky? Three updates at once. Enjoy.

(Just a warning, Lauren Foster is a fictional character.)


	9. Chapter 9

Ashley's father decided that, since they were there, they might as well have a day to explore the city before they went home. They explored Central Park, and bought a bag of roasted peanuts from a cart vendor to eat while they walked. Ashley's stomach began to hurt after eating them, and they sat down so she could catch her breath. "You know, I think you might be allergic." Her father said. She frowned, displeased at the thought. "You don't know that! It was probably just too salty or greasy or something." She said. How on Earth could she live without a simple chunky peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich every once in a while? That was absurd. Her father shrugged. "The next time you go to the doctor I'll ask her." He said.

They traveled on foot, and found themselves in Times Square later. "Dad, my feet hurt." Ashley complained. He nodded. "Mine, too. How about we find someplace cool to sit, and we'll head back in a while?" He suggested. "Oh, my God, yes." She sighed, relieved. It was so hot! She was so glad she'd worn shorts and a tank top. Her father, on the other hand, was wearing jeans, and looked like he was going to melt. They stopped inside an ice cream parlor, and split a banana sundae. "Hold the nuts." Her father had said wistfully to the person at the counter, and Ashley cast him an annoyed look. Not too interested in the ice cream, Ashley mainly stole the chocolate sauce and banana from the sundae, and she watched everyone pass outside. It was nice and cool in the parlor, and it was strangely empty, despite so many people passing by. She mentioned it to her father. "They must be too busy to stop for ice cream. Notice how there are no children out? Everyone must be doing business around this time." She nodded. She was grateful she had this chance to be out with her father. They were close at home, but they really only lived together, comfortably coexisting without much interaction.

Ashley's father went to the bathroom before they decided to trace their steps back to their hotel. She sat at the table, looking blankly outside, when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A stone angel was perched in the middle of a water fountain a few blocks down. It was really pretty. The angel was kneeling down, her wings spread out in the air and her arms guarding her eyes. Ashley felt uncomfortable for a moment, and kept watching the angel. She blinked, then scoffed at herself. Weepings Angels were science fiction. She got up, and stretched her legs when her father came out. They left the parlor, and started walking back, their backs to the water fountain. In the rare moment that does not come very often, nobody bothered to glance at the fountain to appreciate it's beauty for a few seconds, and by the time a passing business man paused to toss a penny into it, the angel was standing straight up, it's wing's wrapped around it partially, and it's arms lowered, the eyes watching after the departing girl.

X

One their way back, Ashley found a small boutique that was cute looking, and she dragged her father inside it so she could look around. It was an antique like shop, with vintage clothes and stuff. She looked at the clothes on the racks, amusing herself with the flapper dresses and fedoras and veil hats. She hung ropes of fake pearls around her neck, and something red caught her eye. A red velvet fez caught her eye, and she dumped the pearls back in their case and picked it up. It was so awesome! The little black tassel wasn't fraying, and the velvet was in good condition. It had a funny smell, like it'd been burnt, but, whatever! She was so getting this.

Ashley found a little set of steps hidden behind a changing screen draped with scarves near the back, and, figuring it lead to another part of the shop, went up them. There was a little room at the end of a short hall, to the left, and it had shelves of trinkets. There was a wooden jewelry box full of buttons with little pictures on them, and she sat down on a small footstool to paw through them. She giggled. There was one with a pig on it, hiding under a straw house, and one with a red barn and white flowers. Near the bottom a wooden button the size of a silver dollar caught her eye. She picked it up, and turned it around in her hand. It wasn't really a button, it had no loop hole on the back, or any holes in the actual disk. There was something carved in it, and she figured someone must have been bored when they made it. It was just a bunch of half circles and junk. She felt compelled for some reason to have it, though, so she dropped it into the fez. She also found a red, clip on bow tie, and feeling satisfied, went to go buy them. The elderly lady at the counter was confused, and looked at the fez curiously.

"I don't remember this." She said pleasantly, asking for only a dollar for it and three dollars in all, including the bow tie. Her father smiled at her, and they went back to the hotel. She took a picture of herself in the fez and bow tie in the room on her phone, and posted it on Tumblr.

"I'm so cool."

She posted along with the picture. Her father said he was going to go down and take advantage of the swimming pool the hotel had to offer, and asked if Ashley wanted to come, too. She shook her head. "No. I think I'm going to take a nap." She said. He nodded, and went downstairs, towel slung over his shoulder. She did try to sleep in the bed for a while, but after a while, she noticed there was a persistent ticking noise. Ashley sat up, and looked around. The only clock in the room was digital, and wouldn't tick. She slid off of the bed and went into the bathroom to see if something was dripping. Not finding anything, she stood in the middle of the room, her hands on her hips and her eyes closed, trying to pinpoint the sound.

Vaguely reminded of a video online involving puppets and a pipe bomb, she followed the sound to her backpack. It had been kicked under the bed she was using, and she had to get on her stomach and reach under it to grab the bag. The ticking noise came from a little side pocket, and she reached in. Her fingers touched something cool and metal, and she drew out a silver fob watch on a chain. Blinking, she looked at it, curious. Was this her father's? It had to be. Not too interested, she dropped it back in, and flopped back onto the bed on her stomach.

X

Ashley and her father flew back home the next day. In a daze from the different time zones, Ashley barely said hello to Ian and Mickey, who were frantically trying to smother her with their furry bodies in greeting, before she shuffled to her bedroom. She turned the lights off, and drew the blinds, wanting to be in darkness so she could sleep. The familiar hum of the air conditioner helped her fall asleep. A few hours later, though, Ashley found herself wide awake, her eyes staring unblinkingly at the ground where the door met the carpet, with her skin cold and clammy, like she'd been sweating in her sleep, and her heart slightly racing. She didn't move, and just stared, keeping her breathing even. What was she looking at?

She swallowed, and then it hit her with a jolt. Where the light shone in her room from under the door, it looked like someone was standing on the inside of the door. She started, scrambling out from under her blanket and pressing herself into the corner of her bed. The shadow shifted, then moved away. After a moment, Ashley flew off of her bed, and ran across the house to her father's room. He was watching TV, dozing with Mickey asleep across his feet. He was awake in an instant when she threw the door open and launched herself onto the foot of his bed. "What is it?" He asked, getting up.

Ashley blinked, and then let out a shaky breath. She didn't feel like she knew how to explain. "There's...A mouse in my room. My hand was over the edge of my bed and it touched it." He took the bait, and grimaced. "Well, if Mickey can't catch it, I'll call a pest control to set traps." He said, giving her shoulder a pat. The said cat looked up into Ashley's eyes, and then gave a big yawn, getting up and walking across the bed to her. He arched his back, and rubbed against her comfortingly. She rubbed behind his ears. She might need a bit of a break from watching the scarier Doctor Who episodes at night.

X

Nora invited herself over the next night so they could stay up and talk. She was just as excited as Ashley was about the whole affair. She freaked out when her friend said she met a celebrity, and forced her to squeeze every last detail out about everything. Ashley obliged, but left out the strange experiences she'd had. When they finally fell asleep, Ashley found herself lying awake, staring subconsciously at the door. No light seeped in, as Ian had mercifully dumped his furry self in front of it and was snoring loudly. Mickey was lying in a ball, curled up against Ashley's body. When he felt her shift, he started purring loudly, and licked her arm a few times. The animals had been seeming like they'd been trying to comfort her lately, and, whatever their reason, she appreciated it. She fell asleep shortly after the AC came on, the noise drowning out everything in the house except for the sound of Nora breathing softly behind her, and Mickey purring, and Ian snoring. Somewhere in her dreams, a peculiar pattern wove it's way into her mind as she imagined herself inside of Lauren Foster's office, the stone angels from the cathedral across the street standing in front of the doors, not letting her out.

One two three four.

One two three four.

One two three four.

One two three four...

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	10. Chapter 10

The week positively trudged past at an excruciatingly slow pace. At the same time, though, it was dizzying fast, with so much to do. There was house and pet care to be arranged, people to be notified, travel passages to be taken care of, passports and immunizations, the whole nine yards. Ian and Mickey were taken the day before Ashley and her father left to an animal hotel where they'd live a life of luxury for a month. Ashley's father asked Nora's mother to house and garden sit again, and insisted on paying her for her time. The mail had to be held at the post office, and the newspaper canceled for the month, so it wouldn't be a dead give away that they were on vacation. Ashley's father arranged with his work for it to be done while they were in London. They had to pack their suitcases with everything they'd need, and money would need to be exchanged. So much to do.

It was all eventually worked out, though. They finally collapsed together on Ashley's father's bed around 11 at night, the TV against the wall opposite the foot of the bed playing softly as background noise. Ashley allowed herself to cuddle up against his chest, letting his stroke her hair like he used to when she was little as she dozed. "Well, are you ready for an adventure, Ashley?" He asked her. She nodded. "This is going to be the adventure to end all adventures." She said, half asleep. He chuckled, and let her fall asleep, curled up under a blanket as he held her protectively. "Goodnight, sweetie. We have an early morning..." He leaned over and grabbed the remote from his bedside table, turning the TV off.

If only Ashley knew how correct she was...

x

They had to get up at three in the morning again, and Ashley grumbled at her father, not appreciating the early morning after the late night. He rolled his eyes, and made her a cup of coffee, pushing it in her hands along with a banana so she'd have something on her stomach. She stuck the banana in her pocket, and nursed the coffee in the back seat of their taxi as her father got the luggage in the trunk. They drove in silence to the airport, all too tired to talk. More awake this time around because of the coffee, she peered out the window at the deserted highway.

It was somewhat cool to watch everything. The sun wasn't even up yet, and the lamps that were spaced out at intervals only shone light in small circles, more darkness than light. Ashley amused herself by holding her breath when the taxi passed through the darkness, only allowing herself to exhale and quickly inhale while under the light. She blinked, then leaned back, annoyed at her childish game. She let her mind wander, and when she started to pay attention again, they were at the airport, pulling up against the sidewalk. They checked in their luggage, and this time all Ashley had to carry was her purse.

They touched down from airport to airport, eating their meals in the terminals. By the time they finally touched down in London, it was almost morning the next day. "Major jet lag." Ashley said, wearied. Her father agreed. They went to their hotel, and both fell asleep instantly after their bodies hit their beds. They slept until well into the next day, blinking, dazed and confused, at the sun. They were to meet at the producer's studio around five, and headed there when the time came. Ashley was awed about everything, a complete American tourist. They were ushered into Stephen Moffat's office for a meeting.

Ashley looked at the man in awe as her father introduced himself to him. When she shook his hand, she beamed at him. "You have no idea how amazing you are." She said seriously to him. The man laughed. "So you're the girl who won the contest. Congratulations! I really did enjoy your submission." Her eyes grew wide. He'd watched it, too? Well, it made sense, but, still! "Of course I wanted to meet you, but we also need to discuss business. I want to give you your script before the meeting tomorrow, so you'll be a bit more familiar with everything." He handed her a packet, then they talked about how it would be on the set, about filming times, the sort. The meeting tomorrow would clarify everything up.

x

Back at the hotel, her father left her in the room so he could work some on his laptop in the dining area. Ashley got her suitcases unpacked in the closet and drawers provided in the room. She sat on her bed, and poked around on her DS. When she got tired of digging up fossils and pit fall seeds, she turned it off, and pulled out her laptop, which she'd brought with her. She lay on her stomach, and browsed on the sites she frequented. Nothing really interesting was happening, so she turned it off and pushed it away, deciding to read her script.

She'd been warned that, as filming went on, there could be edits, but for the most part this seemed pretty cool. The story line for this episode was the TARDIS crashed out in the middle of a desert on Earth, right next to a small plane wreck that had happened only moments before the TARDIS crashed. The only survivor of the crash was a teenager, now Ashley. The Doctor, without a companion at the moment as the Ponds decided they wanted to settle down and have another go at making a family, non-Time Lord, invited her to come along. For a while, everything was fine. They successfully went through time and space and visited a planet without disaster, but the TARDIS malfunctioned again, and crashed in the exact same spot on Earth again, except this time it was in the future.

They had landed in an underwater station, and trouble, as always, was brewing. The station seemed deserted, and according to history, a whole country should have been living in the station. They eventually found the people, but it was devastating. They were all in an huge sick bay, and all dead, all expect for five people. Something had gotten into the food supply, and it messed with the bodies. The Doctor wanted to examine the first person to die from the disease, and was taken to the morgue, only to find the body still moving. It messed with their brains, turning them into foaming cannibals that are anything warm and alive, and gave them super strength. The blood of the bodies pooled under the skin, and turned them a nasty bruise color, and after an autopsy, the adrenal gland was found to be the size of a foot ball. One line of hers caught her eye.

"So, what, there are actually zombies in the world?"

"Of course not." The Doctor said. "Zombies are urban legend."

"Then what ARE these things?"

"...I don't know."

Ashley laughed at that part. This was going to be so fun.

X

The next day at the meeting, Ashley was so nervous. The people who made a Doctor Who episode possible were all there. "Oh, gosh." She breathed, waiting for the meeting to start. They began with introductions. Then they discussed what it was like on the set, and how filming would go. They told her the times she had to be there each day, and after everything and anything was talked through, she was given a tour of the studio. She was shown the costume storage, the makeup room, the filming deck. Her favorite part was being able to see the TARDIS. It was just a wooden box, but it was still cool.

She got to meet Matt Smith again that day. "So, how big of a fan of the show are you?" He asked her, smiling. She shrugged modestly. "It's my number one anything..." She giggled. "Really? So, if I asked you a question about something, you'd be able to answer it." She nodded. "Probably!" He smiled, and thought of a question. "Let's start off easy. What does TARDIS stand for?" He asked. "Time and Relative Dimension in Space." She said. Easy! "Right! What about River Song's real name?" Ashley playfully rolled her eyes. "Melody Pond, 'cause the only water in the Forest is the River." He laughed. "Alright, you're convincing me. One last thing. Which Doctor is the best?" She shrugged. "I suppose the eight, Paul. He was pretty cute." His face fell slightly. "Oh."

Ashley busted up laughing. "Oh, gosh, I'm playing! You're my favorite Doctor." She snorted, and covered her mouth, horrified. "Ack!" She turned red. It was his turn to chuckle. "Nothing wrong with your laugh, Poole, and I like your taste in Time Lord regenerations." She giggled again. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow?" He said. She nodded. "Count on it!" Matt smiled wistfully. "I've a lot of water in my life." He mused. Ashley was confused. "Oh, nothing. I've just gotten a Pond, and a River, and now a Poole." She blinked then got it, giggling. "Nice one." They waved good bye, and Ashley went back to the hotel with her father. "Well? How do you like it?" He asked back in their room. "This is going to be so cool!"

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	11. Chapter 11

Ashley went to the studio around eleven in the morning. They spent a while picking out an outfit for her, a signature one that people would relate to her, like how the Doctor had his specific suit. After a lot of deliberation, her make up artist kept fussing over it, she settled finally settled on torn, acid washed skinny jeans with holes at the knees. She would wear brightly colored mismatched patterned sock underneath, and wore worn black and white almost knee high lace up Converse that went over her jeans. Her top consisted of a black camisole that peeked out under her dirty white shirt that had a punk lighting bolt on it that was colored as a rainbow, and wore a black leather bomber jacket. Her wrists would be decorated with many colored plastic bracelets, and would also wear a rainbow studded black belt through her jean belt loops.

"I'm trying to get you to look like a rebellious teenager." Her make up artist said. Her hair would be pulled up into a high ponytail, teased to give volume, and her bangs would be swept across her eyes. Black eyeshadow would be applied, and her nails would be pained black with rainbow stripes, but she'd also have rosy cheeks and pink sparkly lip gloss. She felt like a totally different person, but Ashley liked it.

They ran lines just standing, maybe throwing in movements, and that went on for a few days until Ashley got her lines down. She met the other cast members, and she clicked with a teenage boy her age. He reminded her of Derek a lot... Finally they got on to filming after a week. Her heart racing, Ashley got into her costume and make up, and settled down into her 'plane seat', headphones plugged in and head bobbing to loud music with too much bass. The scene would switch from Ashley's crash to the Doctor's, and it started out with Ashley just reading a teenage magazine, her earphones blasting. Nonchalantly popping her gum loudly, she began to notice the two flight attendants rushing back and forth down the isle. There were only two other passengers on the plane, an elderly man and his equally old pet Pomeranian in a cage at his feet and a middle aged business woman chattering away into her cell while she typed on her laptop. Ashley, or rather, her character, Claire, put the magazine aside, pulling her headphones off as she got up. She stopped a flight attendant in the isle, and asked what was going on.

She was told to go back to her seat, and to put her chair up, buckle her seat belt. Confused, Ashley followed after her as she hurried to the cockpit, wanting to know what was going on. The light to fasten their seat belt came on, and the captain spoke through the intercom.

"Ladies and gentleman, I must admit that something is wrong with our controls. Please put your seat in the upright position, turn off all electronics and stow them, fasten your seat belts, and put your trays up. Thank you, and expect some turbulence." He said. 'Claire' had just poked her head in the cockpit as the whole plane shuddered, both engines exploding at the same time. They plummeted to the ground, and she and the business woman let out a shriek. The old man began praying and took his pet out of the cage, holding it to his chest and stroking it as he squeezed his eyes shut. The other flight attendant shoved Ashley into a seat, and buckled her up before getting strapped in herself, yelling to get in the crash position. Ashley ducked her head, and put her arms over her head. The noise would cut out there, and would be replaced with the music still pouring out from her music player.

At that point in time, the screen would switch to the Doctor, minding his own silly business, lazily circling the TARDIS controls. He would turn a screen to face him, and would read it, nodding with a pleased expression. He would shrug his jacket to get it more comfortable, but the TARDIS would violently shake, nearly knocking his feet out from under him. An alarm would blare, and he would scramble up, muttering a repetition of No, each growing in panic and volume. The TARDIS controls would start smoking, and the lights would dim, spinning madly out of control as he struggled to land safely. All noises would play along with the music from Claire's headphones.

The screens would rapidly flicker from the TARDIS to the plane, the time machine spinning through the time vortex to the smoking plane plummeting to the ground, from the frantic Doctor to the girl Clair who would be leaning over, her terrified tears making her makeup run. All noise would be gone again expect for the music, building in volume and tempo, until the flickering between scenes would become almost indistinguishable, until the plane was at the breaking point of crashing into a desert, and the TARDIS came out of the time vortex and crashed into the sand, as well. The screen would go blank then, the music reaching it's climax with Claire's, Ashley's, terrified scream at impact.

"Cut!" The director yelled. Ashley opened an eye, and peeked out. People standing behind the cameras were clapping for her. "Great job!" The director praised of Ashley as she unbuckled herself from her seat. She grinned, trying to hide the fact that she was shaking, having made herself believe that they were actually crashing. Her heart hammering, she blinked rapidly, her bad makeup in her eyes. "Someone get that cleaned up." The director yelled behind him, and her makeup artist came forward with a moist towelette. "You did amazing, I watched you the whole time. A natural!" He gushed as he wiped the makeup from her face. She grinned at him, blushing. "You think so?" He nodded. "Know so!"

Ashley made it off of the set, and was walking away when she did a little happy wiggle victory dance. That was so awesome! Feeling bubbly, she skipped to the bathroom, grinning at herself when she washed her hands. "Hey, Miss Television Star." She whispered.

X

Matt met her in on the set after he was done filming his own entrance. He clapped her on the back, grinning. "Hey, you're really quite good!" He said. Her face burned, and she scuffed her shoe on the ground. "Thank you..." She said. "I mean it. You have some seriously cool talent." Ashley smiled at him. "Thanks, Matt. That really means a lot, you have no idea."

They began working some on the next scene. It would open on the Doctor stumbling out of the TARDIS, smoke billowing out from behind him. Coughing, he would wave his hand in front of his face before noticing the crash. Flames and smoke out be billowing from the fallen plane, and he would run to it, shouting to see if anyone was alive. He could hear crying, and would Sonic his way through the door, and find Ashley. She would be laying against the wall in front of the seat she'd been in. The seat belt would had been pulled clean from the seat, and blood streamed from a gash in her forehead into her eyes and mouth. Her arm would be twisted wrongly behind her back, having fallen on it. A fake arm would be naturally used in this scene. He would carefully kneel in front of her, putting the arm back into it's place as Claire would let out a scream. He would smooth her bangs back from her dirty face, and would check in vain for other survivors. The screen would pause on the body of the little Pomeranian, lying still at the feet of it's owner.

The Doctor would help her out of the wreck, and would try to fix the plane's radio to call for help. No such luck. After repairing the TARDIS, he would bring her inside, and tend to her head wound, scanning her with the Sonic Screwdriver to check if she had a concussion. Taking some time to fix the TARDIS some more, he asked her about herself after she felt better. Claire was an emancipated orphan, they'd chosen that story because Ashley was older, and was on her way to live with a very distant cousin. She had nothing to look forward to. After a moment, the Doctor would invite her along with him.

X

The filming for that went on for the rest of that day, and the next. The director wanted some changes made, so that took some time. The next few days were equally busy. The Doctor took Claire on request to a planet where the trees sang, and she loved it, lying on her back next to him, her arms behind her head in the grass as she listened to the trees sing a melody that made her cry for some reason. When asked what was wrong, she explained it made her think of her parents. They would be traveling to another planet where he would show her a place where the air smelled like pineapple when the TARDIS malfunctioned again. They would crash again, in the exact same spot as the last time. Claire would be terrified at the second crash in such a short time, and pushed her way out of the TARDIS as the Doctor puzzled at the landing in the exact same coordinates as before, just in a different time.

They would be in an underwater station that should have been a future United States of America, in the Arizonian desert, to be precise. The sea levels had risen so that everything in the Northern hemisphere was underwater. The station would be a huge web of tunnels and building that stretched across the expanse, supposed to be teaming with the billions of people of the US. Not a soul was in sight. The lights were in emergency reserve, the tunnels cast with dim shadows, and Claire hung close to the Doctor's side as they looked for people. They finally found a place, a stadium the size of five football fields, that was filled with people. They were not alive, though. All in there were layed out, side by side, face up, covered in white sheets. It was a terrifying scene. Walking down an isle in between a row of cadavers, Claire walking immediately behind the Doctor and clutching the back of his jacket, they found a communication panel that the Doctor modified to contact any other receiver in the whole system. In all, he got five replies. Each answer was the same. All were dead, except for the five alive. The whole population of the US, reduced to five. The Doctor was worried, this was never supposed to happen. He found out the five were in traveling distance, and they met up in a control building.

A man explained that he and his son, the one Ashley had clicked with, were the only survivors on the West coast. A middle aged woman was from the Middle East, and two older men were from New York. That was it. After gathering up snippets of information from the survivors and what he could find on the database, the Doctor found out that this had started about a month ago. People began getting sick, and dying for no plausible reason. The blood vessels in the body would burst, and the skin would turn in one giant nasty bruise. Some would die, foaming at the mouth, and some would go insane, ripping and slashing at healthy people with strong, yellow nails, shoving whatever they could into their maws. A report had been said that some of the previously deceased would rise again, attacking people and each other, slashing everything into bloody ribbons with teeth and nails.

The filming of the episode freaked out Ashley at times, especially when it came to the reanimation of the dead people under the sheets. Almost every major building was filled with dead people, all medical bays and funeral homes overflowing with the dead. Some had even died in bed and sitting up in chairs, as Claire had found while poking around in a home for something to eat. As she pulled out a not spoiled piece of bread from a cabinet, the table behind her rattled, and she spun around with a scream, a dead walker, as she called them, having bumped into it. It lunged at her, and she duck around it, running to the Doctor. Screen shots of many different building would be shown, bodies stirring from under sheets, door opening in dark places. The seven of them were trapped in the middle of a dead zone.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	12. Chapter 12

The seven of them would barricade themselves in the building in where the TARDIS had landed. Frantically trying to figure out why the five survivors had not gotten sick, he repaired the machine as they churned out every detail. After a while, he came to a conclusion that it came from the food. The meat and dairy and poultry products to be precise. Anything that came from an animal. All the the survivors were strict vegetarians, only eating vegetables and fruit. They didn't even eat bread products. Nothing at all that had milk or egg. The few others in the state who were the same had been attacked and killed, probably. Or maybe they were still alive, but hadn't been able to reply. That's what Claire hoped.

The Doctor needed to figure out what happened here, and how to reverse it. Something had triggered this, and he needed to know what. After some snooping, and a lot of running, he was examining a body of a man who ran the main food manufacturing process. This one hadn't died of the disease, but had rather committed suicide. Why did he do that? Unless he had something to hide. Claire for some reason couldn't help but stare at him, his back to be precise, frozen with terrified curiosity. The Doctor heard the dead walkers coming for them, and he wanted to go in his TARDIS, it should have been working, but she refused. There was something on his back. She would whisper in a horrified tone. Nothing would be there, but the Doctor noticed the feeling too. He remembered a certain event that happened with a past companion, and had Claire, unwillingly, carry the body into the TARDIS so he could examine it.

After building a contraption, a huge black beetle that looked like a giant Scarab was revealed on the man's back. The Doctor placed everything together. An alien traveler must have visited the man, and tricked him into imagining a different future, and the creature created a paradox around him. He couldn't send the man back in time, though, to change it, because he was dead. Claire asked why couldn't they just take the thing off, and the Doctor replied that it was too dangerous. The man was dead, though, what harm would it cause? He though about it, and created another contraption that would destroy the thing. Perhaps it would set time right. With the six waiting in anticipation, the Doctor activated it, but it didn't work quite the way he wanted it. The creature died, but nothing changed. Claire suggested that she go back in time, and find a way to prevent the man from creating the paradox. He didn't seem to enjoy the idea, but it just might work. None of the survivors could because it would create another paradox.

Claire was sent back in time on her own, and hurried to find the man. She found him in his office, about to approve a new sort of industrial cleaner on a phone call that would ultimately lead to a contamination of the livestock, and would cause the disease. She pestered him to come see something, he had to come quick, and to save time, he said no to the call. When he got out, though, time had been set right, and Claire was gone.

The five survivors were sent back to their own times, with no memory of the incident. The paradox being averted sent ripples of change back through time, and somehow it effected Claire and the death of her parents. The Doctor suddenly found himself traveling through time peacefully, the minute the plan should have crashed and he should have found Claire. He never did, and over time, the memory of the incident would filter back to him, but she would not remember him in return, being happy in her home with her very much alive parents. He would continue on in his lonesome travels as usual, no crashing for the time being.

x

On the final day of filming, they had a little party. Sure, they'd have to go back some and do editing once the director reviewed the final piece, but for now they could celebrate. Everyone congratulated Ashley on her success. She loved it, and said she'd not mind doing it again. They laughed, and Matt said maybe she'd find an even better chance at fame someday. Ashley liked that idea, and smiled, laughing. Oh, what an experience. That last few weeks had to be the most exciting in her whole life. He father was so proud of her, and gave her a great big bear hug at the party. The cast all signed a little journal with little notes for her, and even got a cake for them all to share. They laughed about the fun they had, and Matt shared with everyone how he'd pranked her coming out of the dressing room with another cast member who was in full dead walker costume. She turned red, and in turn, shared how SHE had scared HIM by hiding behind a door with an air horn. He rolled his eyes, and admitted he'd jumped a little. They all decided to take the next day off before coming back for the editing.

Ashley spent the morning of her free day sleeping in, enjoying a nice hot bubble bath and being able to be in her own comfortable clothes again. She persuaded her dad to let her explore a bit on her own, and she walked around London, taking pictures on her phone of remarkable sights. She pawed in her purse for her pack of gum, and her hand touched something. She pulled it out, and looked at the fob watch she'd found in her backpack during her trip to New York with furrowed eyebrows. That was funny, she could have sworn she'd put it in her desk drawer. She'd totally forgotten about it after that. She turned it over in her hands, and ran her finger over the engravings. She pushed the clasp to open it, and then let out a shriek as a bright white light filled her vision, feeling the ground drop away.

X

Ashley finished her shriek as she hit the concrete of the sidewalk with her rear, blinking rapidly as her eyes teared up. She rubbed at her eyes until the light faded from behind her eyes, and then let out a sigh. What in the world had just happened? She sat there for a moment, leaning forward with her arms on her knees, before getting up, wincing at the pain in her tailbone. Ashley looked around for the watch, which she must have dropped, but didn't see it. She paced her area, and even went out into the street. She couldn't find it! Did it roll into a gutter? No...There wasn't one on her side of the street. Ashley put her hands on her hips, that was very strange! She gave up looking for it after 15 minutes, considering it lost. She decided she'd better head back, it was near dinner time and she promised her father she wouldn't be out for long. Pawing in her purse for her door key card, she paused, not finding it. Maybe she'd left it in the room. She went up in the elevator to her floor, and went to her room that she shared with her father. Knocking on it, she waited for ten minutes, knocking a lot, but no one answered. Maybe her father went out.

Ashley went down to the front desk to ask for another key card. "Your name?" The clerk asked. "Poole, it should be under Poole." She said. He typed it in, and shook his head. "There's no Poole registered here." He said. "That can't be true, I was just here a few hours ago." She insisted. She gave him her room number, and he shook his head again. "That particular room has been vacant all year." He said. Ashley felt that strange chill from at home at full blast again, and her whole body shuddered, muttering to the clerk that she must have been mistaken as she walked outside. The hot summer sun did not warm her body. She walked the street, then finally got the bright idea to call her father. Pulling out her phone, she dialed the number, but got an alert that the number was not in service. Ashley slowed down, lowering her phone away from her ear. For some reason, the strange events that had happened recently began bothering her. Something inside her was telling her that something wasn't right.

A general shout began to rise to her left, and Ashley followed it. A crowd of people blocked her way in a park, and she bounced to see what had gotten everyone so upset. She looked around, annoyed, and spotted a statue. She climbed up on it, and looked over the crowd. The sound of a laser being fired reached her ears, and she swallowed, disbelieving. "Exterminate!" A mechanical voice shouted. A Dalek was coming at the crowd, and fired on a man, who lit up like a bulb and fell with a scream, dead. The crowd panicked, and dispersed in all directions, more Daleks rolling out of a smoking crater in the ground from a...A landed spaceship! What the hell was going on?

Something grabbed her foot, and yanked, and Ashley fell with a scream. She was caught by someone, and set on her feet. "Are you crazy being up there?" A woman whispered in her ear. Ashley got an impression of red hair. The woman grabbed her hand. "They've seen us! Run!" She yanked on Ashley's arm, dragging her behind her as they ran. Two Daleks followed after them, shouting Exterminate as they fired, barely missing the two fleeing females. "What the bloody Hell is going on!" Ashley spluttered. "Later! It's a long story! If we live, I promise to explain!" Ashley scowled as they turned a corner. "Not comforting! If we live." The woman pulled them into an alley, and a Dalek rolled past, not seeing them. The woman let out a sigh. "Right. That's better." She said, pushing her hair out of her face. That's when Ashley noticed her Scottish accent. Looking in the woman's face, her mouth dropped. "No. Way." She whispered to herself.

"Amy? Amelia Pond?"

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)

P.S. THERE I FIXED IT. Happy, sashaxh?


	13. Chapter 13

Ashley corrected herself. "Karen Gillan? Karen, what's going on here! Is this some sort of promo?" She asked. The woman furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head. "No, you had it right the first time. Do I know you?" Ashley nervously giggled. "Very funny, Karen. I know you play Amy. I'm the girl who won the contest." She explained. The other female rolled her eyes. "I'm not Karen. I'm Amy. Honestly, who's Karen Gillan? Nobody plays me but me, and congratulations?" She seemed distracted, peeking her head out the alley. "But-! You're not really Amy Pond..." The chill was back again. "Yeah, I am. Honestly, who else would I be? Only one of me in the whole world." She said, not really paying attention. Ashley scoffed. "Yeah, and I suppose you're the Doctor's companion." Amy looked back at her. "Yeah, I am. You know him?" Ashley was about to reply when she was interrupted.

"Alert! Companion sighted." A Dalek voice said. Amy let out a groan, and grabbed Ashley's wrist again. "Okay, we can talk later. Look over there, past the park where we first met. There's an alley next to a bakery. Go down there and get in the police box. I'll explain later, just run!" Amy yanked on her, and they started running. The Dalek fired at them, and more came at them. They ran back down the street, and skirted around the Dalek ship, slinking behind bushes. A beam burst the bush next to them in fire, and Ashley let out a squeak. They scrambled out from behind the bushes, and beelined to the alley.

"Amy! Get in!" Matt Smith said, leaning out of the police box, waving them in. He disappeared inside. "You have got to be kidding." Ashley said, being pushed into the box, collapsing to her knees. This was too strange. There was actually a TARDIS on the inside, not just a little wooden prop box. "Bigger on the inside." She choked out, leaning against the side. Matt turned to her. "Where'd she come from?" He asked Karen, Amy, whatever! "She was on top of a statue, I just pulled her down. Keeps calling me Karen, but she knows about you." Matt turned, shrugging, and began fiddling with the controls of the TARDIS. "We'll drop her back off once we've taken care of things." Ashley staggered up. Somehow she'd managed to keep a hold of her purse, and she clutched it to her chest. "Matt, hey, it's me, Ashley Poole..." She said to him, uncertain. He looked at her. "I'm not Matt, Ashley Poole. You've got me mistaken." Ashley shook her head. "No way I could mistake you. You're Matt Smith...You play the eleventh Doctor, no way I'm confused."

That caught his attention, and he turned to her. "I am a Smith, I go by John Smith, not Matt, and how did you know this was my eleventh form?" He asked. "No, wait, this is too strange. Are you two playing a trick on me?" Ashley felt panic growing in her stomach. "How did the Dalek light up that person when it shot him? Those effects are done in the studio! Why don't you recognize me, we just worked together for almost a month!" She realized she was shaking, and tears were running down her face, her nose running. She wiped at the tears. "What the Hell is going on."

Amy came over to her. "Hey, we can get everything fixed later, okay? No crying." Ashley sniffed back, nodding. A thought occurred to her. "If you're Amy Pond, where's Rory?" She asked, dazed. Amy stiffened, then groaned. "Rory!" She shouted. "I'm going to kill that stupid head." She looked at the Doctor. "He's still out there, I'm going to be right back." He shook his head. "Too dangerous, I'll try to get us near him." He pressed something on the control, and the familiar noise of the TARDIS filled the air. Ashley stared at it working, her face drained of color.

Amy ran to the door, and poked her head. "Rory Williams Pond! You get in here, you big stupid head!" She shouted. "Coming!" A meek voice shouted back, running towards them. Rory came in, and slammed the door shut, holding something in his hand. "Go! They're really upset!" He gasped, tossing the thing to the Doctor. He caught it, and plugged it in. "Brilliant!" He said. "And, here we go!" He said. The TARDIS whipped off into time and space, but not before a major explosion bumped into the police box.

"What was that!" Ashley shouted, watching the door fearfully. "Rory was brilliant and got a Dalek main thought processor chip, and I plugged it into the transference module, and with a little modification, I was able to reroute a new command into their Dalek minds, and they all self destructed!" He said, excited, spinning on his foot and snapping his fingers at Rory. None of them looked equally excited. "English. Doctor." Amy said. He deflated, and rolled his eyes. "You're so boring. I basically told them to blow themselves up." Ashley grimaced. "Lovely." She muttered.

The Doctor turned his attention back to her, noticing her again now that they were safe. "Now, who are you, Miss Ashley Poole?" He asked, thoughtfully. Ashley felt her face color. "This-this is going to sound completely mad, but- Uhm.." He nodded. "Go on." He said. "Uhm. Yeah. You're not real." The Doctor blinked, and Amy even laughed. "First I've ever heard of this." She said, amused. Ashley's face turned red. "No, that's not what I mean! It's, uhm. Alright, okay, how to say this. You're a television show. Daleks are little remote control robots in filming, the TARDIS is supposed to be literally just a wooden box and a filming set. You're Matt Smith, and Amy's Karen Gillan, and Rory is- Uhm. Sorry, I always forget your actor's name." Rory looked annoyed. "Sure, forget me." He grumbled.

Ashley looked around. "This...Isn't a joke, is it." She said. "Afraid not, Poole." The Doctor said. "We're as real as you are." Her face crumpled, and she sank to her knees, starting to bawl. "Holy Jesus, I'm in a bloody television show! This is mad! Those things actually killed that guy, didn't they? He's gone, it's not special effects, he's not acting." She started to shake. "I want my Dad!" The Doctor pursed his lips, and crouched down in front of her, awkwardly patting her shoulder. "None of that! We'll get everything sorted out." He said. "Trust me, I'm a-" She quietly interrupted him. "Yeah, I know. You're a Doctor." He looked annoyed that he couldn't finish his little phrase, but shrugged. "Yeah." He said. Something jolted through Ashley's mind. "My Dad! Oh, God, that's why he wasn't at the hotel. There would have been no reason for me to be in London, there was no show for me to have been in. He's back at home!" Her face brightened. "I want to go home! Please, take me home!" She pleaded. The Doctor looked uncertain. "Well, here comes the tricky part. If I'm part of television show where you're from, that most likely means your from another dimension..."

Ashley seemed to deflate, staring blankly through him. "My dad doesn't know who I am. Or he does, but I'm not me. Most of me is obsessed with Doctor Who, and I'd be completely different if I exist here." The Doctor was confused. "Doctor what?" He asked. "Doctor Who, not What." She giggled hysterically. "You're the Doctor, just the Doctor, but Doctor who? That's the title of the television show." She said, letting out her breath slowly. He nodded. "This...Is going to be interesting." Amy said to Rory. He nodded. "Mmhm."

x

Ashley was trying to explain everything to them. "Okay. In my...Dimension, you're Matt Smith, an actor who portrays the eleventh regeneration of the Doctor. Before you was David Tennant for the tenth, Christopher Eccleson for the ninth, Paul McGann for the eight...So on." She giggled brokenly. "You wore a blinking piece of celery once." He nodded. "Yeah, no idea why I did that." He said. "Not cool at all." She gave him a hesitant grin. "Like your bow tie, or the fez you had..." He grinned back. "Exactly! Someone else thinks a fez is cool!" He pointed at her excitedly, looking at Amy and Rory. They didn't seem to agree. "...I think I have your fez." She said randomly. "What?" He was confused. "The one River blasted, I think I got it." He shook his head. "Impossible, she blew it to smithereens." Ashley shrugged. "Time wimey, spacey wacey, I don't know how it all works, but I think I have it." He looked excited. "Do you think...I could get it back?" He asked hopefully. "Oh, Lord no." Amy groaned. Ashley shook her head. "It's in my room...In the other dimension." She said. "Sorry." The Doctor pouted. "Oh, bother."

Ashley shrugged. "I know most about you starting from your ninth regeneration, from the day you met Rose..." She said. He arched an eyebrow. "You know about Rose?" He asked. She nodded. "It ended sadly." He nodded, too, agreeing. "I know about Rose, Donna, Martha, Jack...And stuff you did with the Ponds. I know about River, too. Her story was really sad, and confusing!" She sighed. "I also know a decent amount about...You. I know I sound kinda creepy." She blushed. "Just a bit." Amy muttered. "No need to be rude, Amy." The Doctor said. The red head shrugged. "There's just too much to say! I don't know how to even say half of it." Ashley whined. "I'm sorry, I'm just so confused."

The Doctor patted her shoulder. "It's alright! You can just explain more as we go along." He said. Ashley gave him a shy smile. "Thank you..." He smiled, then leaned against the TARDIS console. "First off, we need to figure out how you go here. Traveling between dimensions is nearly impossible, and it's bad news for you to be here." She nodded. "Like what happened with Bad Wolf and the Daleks, right?" He grimaced, but nodded. "Yeah. Well, tell me what happened once you got here." She thought for a moment. "Well, I was just walking around, and there was this fob watch in my purse that I'd found in my backpack when I was in New York last month. I opened it, and there was this really bright light, and I felt like I was falling, but I opened my eyes and everything looked the same. That's when I heard a ruckus in the park where the Daleks were, and then Amy found me." He looked interested. "A fob watch?" He asked. She grimaced. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing kinda, but I know I'm not a Time Lord that was stuck inside it." She said. "Maybe not, but coincidence is uncanny." He said. Amy snorted.

"Mind telling us poor people in the dark what you're talking about?" She asked. The Doctor looked at her. "A Time Lord can store their Time Lord mind inside of a device disguised as a fob watch when in danger, and he, or her, can turn into a human to hide." He explained. "Yeah, but I never saw it until last month. Don't your folk typically have it with them all the time?" She asked. The Doctor tapped his chin. "Yes, good point. This is all very curious. It's going to take some time to figure it all out." Ashley looked crestfallen. "That's all I have now." She muttered.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	14. Chapter 14

The Doctor, Amy, and Rory went to the point in time a little bit before Ashley ended up in their dimension. They poked about, the Doctor scanning with his Sonic for any clues. They went back into the TARDIS, and he mucked about on his console as they left Earth. "Strange...Very strange..." He muttered to himself. "What?" Ashley asked, alarmed. "Nothing. Nothing at all." She grimaced. "There has to be something for that reaction." He leaned away from the screen, and looked at her. "That's just it. There's nothing. That's what is strange. I so wish I could go back to when you first arrived, but that'd just mess everything up." Ashley turned away, letting out a sigh. She felt somewhat hollow after crying so much earlier. "I miss Mickey..." She muttered.

"Oh? Did you know him?" The Doctor asked, glancing at her. "Is there a Martha in that dimension of yours, too?" That brought a startled giggle from her. "No, no, Mickey's my cat. I named him after that Mickey, though." He chuckled. "Good old Ricky the Alien." He said, turning back to the console. Ashley glanced shyly at Amy and Rory. Rory gave her a comforting, lop sided smile, but Amy elbowed him in the side. He protested. "Ow! That hurt, Amy!" She rolled her eyes, and gave him a look that said to stop fraternizing with the enemy. "I'm just trying to be kind." He muttered. "We don't know what we're dealing with. Honestly, Rory, after all we've been through, it's alright to be suspicious." She muttered back. Ashley's face fell. Disliking the feeling she was getting, the one of being alone and helpless, she felt a little mean streak rise up inside of her. "Yeah, Rory, listen to your wife. After all, you seem to die quite a lot. Be suspicious." He frowned, and looked upset.

Amy gave her a look, and Ashley sent back an equally annoyed look. The Doctor looked up, and noticed the friction. "Ladies! Let's be civil, shall we? Now." He rubbed his hands, rocking back on his heels. "I hate to say this, but I have absolutely no clue or explanation as to this matter. All I can say is that you just hang tight with us, and I'll keep working, alright?" Ashley looked at him blankly. "So what your saying is that I'm most likely stuck here for the rest of my life, and I'm never gonna see my dad again. Is that really what your saying?" He winced. "Well, if you put it that way, it's rather harsh, but, yes. Something like that." For a moment it seemed like she was about to cry again, but she swallowed her tears, and let out a deep sigh. "Alright then. Well, since I'm stuck with you lot, can I make a request?" She asked. The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "Sure, go right on ahead." She chewed on her lower lip before replying. "Take me to a planet where you can hear the trees sing."

x

The Doctor arranged something like a picnic on the planet, and they sat in the middle of a clearing in a humongous forest, eating sandwiches and some strange tasting grape juice from another planet. Ashley wasn't hungry. She wandered off a bit, still in sight of the others, and lay down in the grass away from them, an arm behind her head and one over her eyes, listening to the music. It was even better than what she heard in the studio while filming. It didn't make her think of her parents, though. It just made her...Tired. Very, very tired. The air seemed to grow cold, and sluggishly, she moved her arm away from her eyes. It was dark, and the grass damp with dew. They'd been there for hours.

In a daze, she staggered to her feet, fighting the urge to fall asleep. "Something's wrong..." She muttered, staggering to the others. They were sound asleep, even the Doctor. Rory still had his sandwich in his hand. She reached down in a dreamy haze, and shook Amy's shoulder. The woman mumbled something, and rolled over. Ashley stood up straight, swaying there for a moment, when a slight movement caught her eye. She turned her head slowly, like it was moving through molasses, and noticed that in the distance, coming closer, mounds under the grass were tunneling at them. The sight of them, moving smartly around the trees, made Ashley feel scared. The singing of the trees had stopped, and everything was dead silent.

Ashley had to get them awake, she had a feeling she wasn't going to be fond of what was in the ground. She tried yelling, but couldn't get her voice too loud, she was so tired... She picked up a bottle of the juice, and opened it. "Sorry, mate." She mumbled, dumping the contents on the Doctor's face. He woke up, spluttering, and sat up. "What's going on?" He asked, blinking rapidly to clear away the sleep. "No idea, but I think we need to go." She said, jerking her head at the mounds that were coming closer. "Hm..." His head nodding, he looked around, noticing more mounds coming at them from all around. "Yes, I think so, too." He muttered, climbing to his feet unsteadily. "Come on, Pond." He said, going over to her and trying to shake her awake. "Time to go."

Ashley tried to wake Rory by shaking him, shouting in his ear, and pinching him, but he wouldn't wake. She stuck her finger in the juice, and then stuck it in Rory's ear, having run out of other options. He shuddered, and jolted awake, rubbing at his ear. "Gross." He grumbled, irritated. "Just juice, now, come on." Ashley said, tugging on his sleeve. They trudged over to the TARDIS, Amy finally awake, and as the Doctor tried to unlock it, it began moving away. "It's not supposed to do that." He muttered. The ground rolled underneath them, and a swell in the ground carried the TARDIS swiftly into the trees, disappearing in the darkness. Amy let out a shout. Ashley turned around to look at her, but found herself looking at air. She looked down in time to see the ground closing in on it's self. She tried to back up, but then the ground pushed itself up over her feet, and something wrapped around her ankles, pulling her down into the ground before she had time to scream. "Amy! Ashley!" The Doctor shouted after them, the noise muffled by the closing ground. The last sound Ashley heard before she passed out was the sound of his Sonic Screwdriver.

X

Ashley woke up some time later. Her eyes felt uncomfortable, and she blinked rapidly, her eyes blurry. She moved her hand to wipe her eyes, but realized her arms were tied behind her by something rough, and her legs were tied together, too. She wiggled, still unable to see, and felt something pressed against her back. It felt like she was sitting against a low wall or a crevice in the ground. "Hello? Is anyone there?" She called, coughing. Her mouth tasted terrible, like she'd eaten dirt. She probably did, on her way down. "Ashley? Is that you?" Amy asked from somewhere to her front and left, far away. "Yeah! Where are we?" She asked. "I don't really know, it's kinda dark. I think we're in an underground room or something. It's just a lot of roots and dirt. There's a glowing thing in the wall near you. I can't move, though, I'm all tied up." Ashley nodded. "Yeah, me, too. Ugh! Where are the men when you need them?" She grumbled. Amy actually laughed. "My thoughts exactly. Don't you worry, the Doctor will come, he always does. Rory, too."

Ashley nodded, her eyes still watering. She figured out that if she blinked rapidly enough when they got all watery, she could clear her eyes some. After a while, she could see better. Amy was right, they did look underground. "Hey!" She suddenly shouted. "Let us out! What do you want?" Nothing, not even an echo. "Well, that was pointless." Amy groaned, leaning her head back. A moment later, though, there was a shifting noise. The bonds holding Ashley and Amy back moved on their own, and a moment later, they were free. The girls jumped up, spinning around as the roots that had been keeping them hostage disappeared into the dirt wall. "That's freaky." Ashley said, shuddering. Amy nodded. The red head went over to the glowing orb in the wall, and it turned out to be some strange sort of fruit. She took it down, and looked at it strangely. "This is a first. Can't be too surprised, though." She said. "Can we please go look for the others?" Ashley asked, hopping from one foot to another nervously. "Fine by me." Keeping side by side, they went into a narrow, and dark, tunnel, using the fruit thin to guide their way.

After a bit of poking around, Ashley noticed a glow. "Hey, look!" She said. Trapped in the middle of a mess of roots was the TARDIS, the windows and sign glowing comfortingly. "How did it get in there?" Amy mused. "...Amy." Ashley said. She payed her no mind, looking for a way through the roots to into the TARDIS. "Amy." Ashley repeated more urgently. "Just a minute..." Amy said. "No, you really need to see this." She turned around, the shrieked, dropping the light fruit. Ashley backed up to her, and stopped only when she bumped into her. Twined in the wall with roots pinning them were two skeletons, and one of them was wearing a very familiar bow tie. She rushed forward, and began hysterically fluttering her hands over the other skeleton, which was dressed in Rory's clothes. The clothes were ripped and dirtied, when the Doctor and Rory were still alive, they put up quite a fight.

Ashley noticed the Sonic Screwdriver in the Doctor's jacket pocket, reaching out and hesitantly plucking it from it just as the roots began to pull the skeletons into the wall. "Oh, no you don't!" Amy shouted, scrabbling at the dirt. "You give me back my husband!" The wall began all dirt, small chunks falling down to the ground from the now smooth dirt wall. Amy was shaking, and she sank to her knees, disbelieving. "Rory." She gasped, staring blankly ahead. "Doctor...They're-They're-"

"Right behind you." Both girls jumped, and started to spin around. "No, no, don't look! I'm afraid we're rather..." The Doctor said, hiding behind the mass of roots holding the TARDIS. "Naked, that's what he means." Rory finished. Ashley's face turned red. "Oh." Amy got up. "What- What just happened. Weren't those-" She swallowed thickly, her mind reeling. "Our bodies? No, no, just our clothes. I believe those skeletons were actually roots. Speaking of clothes, my Screwdriver was in there... Darn." The Doctor muttered from behind the boys' hiding spot. "Oh, ah! I got it." Ashley said. "Perfect! Uhm, if you could figure out some discreet way to hand it to me." He said. "Er...Uh, how exactly?" Ashley's face was burning at the idea of naked men.

Amy rolled her eyes, and took the Sonic Screwdriver from her, going over to Rory's side. "It's not like I haven't seen you naked before." She said when he objected, handing it to him so he could pass it to the Doctor. "Woah, Pond, I did not need to know that!" The Doctor complained. "Be quite, you silly man. It's a natural thing when you're married, and you know that." Amy said, going back over to Ashley. "I know that, but I still did not need to think about it." He muttered. "You girls, turn around, I'm going to get us some clothes." The Sonic whirred, and then the TARDIS began to sound off. It dematerialized from inside the roots, then reappeared in the room again, this time out of the roots. There was the sound of hurrying, bare feet, and the men ran inside to get some clothing on.

"Why do you think the roots tried to scare us?" Ashley asked Amy as they waited by the door. "No idea. I never have liked plants." She said. "...Uhm, not to be a bother, but I've watched one too many Doctor Who episodes at home, and I know that we're probably still in danger." Ashley said. "I mean, the things that brought us here are probably still around. They brought us here for a reason, after all, and that was a pretty mean thing to do with the clothes and all!" At that moment, the Doctor popped his head out the door. "Bingo! All set." He said cheerily, dressed in an outfit nearly identical to the one he had been wearing before. "Do you have a rack of clothes just like that someplace?" Amy asked, amused. "Yeah, well, I like this outfit." He said in his defense. "Whatever. Ashley just brought up a very valid point. The thing that nabbed us is probably still here."

He spun on his foot, going inside to the console. "Yes, that is a very good point." He said. "Something wanted us to not leave for a reason, and wanted you girls to think we were dead for a reason, too." He said, fiddling with something. He pressed a button, and a pinging noise was emitted from a little screen. "What are you doing?" Ashley asked. "Scanning the area for life signs, that sort." He said. "We are...The only things warm on the whole planet." He said, looking worried. "Then what exactly brought us down here?" Amy demanded. Ashley turned around, and looked at the door to the TARDIS. "...The trees."

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)

P.S.: Thank you all so much for the great and positive reviews! It makes Author very happy indeed. /not to mention I happily freak out when I get a new review. :)


	15. Chapter 15

"That would make sense." The Doctor said. "If I'm not mistaken, this whole planet is an intertwined network of roots." He tapped his chin thoughtfully with his Sonic Screwdriver. "Let's go investigate." He said. Ashley paled. "Do we have to? I mean, the trees, or whatever they really are, just played a pretty mean trick on me and Amy." The Doctor went to the door, and looked out. "Rory, grab a few torches, will you?" He asked. He nodded, and went to go fetch them. "Hey! Are you listening? There's something out there, and it wanted us to think you were dead!" The Doctor turned, and looked at her.

"Think is the keyword, Poole. If it was really malicious, it would have just killed us, and that would have gotten the point across well enough, too." He pointed out. Ashley shrugged. "Still..." She muttered. "She's right, Doctor. There's some pretty freak stuff going on out there. Especially since the trees tied us up." Amy said. "They let you go, didn't they?" Ashley nodded. "Yeah! I shouted that whatever had us should let us go, and it did." He looked thoughtful at that. "Maybe what we're dealing with is friendly, but just misunderstood." Ashley rolled her eyes. She'd believe that when she saw it. Rory returned with the torches. "Okay, since you girls are so bonded now, you're a team. Take a torch, and..." He hurried back to the console, and picked up two little hand held devices. "This. Press the blue button to talk, and then release once your done. Like this." He tossed one to Amy, and held up the other, pressing down. "Bow tie bravo to lady waters, come in lady waters."

Amy made a face. "You are not calling us that." The Doctor pouted. "Where's your sense of adventure, Pond? Code names are cool." She didn't look convinced. Rory raised his hand. "Uh, yeah, I don't like bow ties." The Doctor looked wounded. "You strike me to my hearts, Rory! How could you!" He said, putting the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically. Ashley giggled, and he gave her a cheeky grin. "Fine. I'll just say Doctor to Pond, okay?" She nodded once. "That's better." He stuck the device in his hand into his pocket. "Okay, the TARDIS scanned a wide space of intertwining tunnels, and I want us to explore them, since there was no apparent way up to the surface in the scan. Maybe we'll find something, or someone." Ashley didn't like the sound of that. "We check in every five minutes, alright? Radio us if you find something, too, okay? If you don't call in after five minutes, I'll be keeping track, mind you, I'll radio to ask your status. You do the same for us."

Ashley was handed the device to put in her pocket, and she looked at it curiously. "What does the red button do?" The Doctor made a face. "Yes, don't press the red button, I almost forgot to mention." He started to go. "What does it do, though?" She persisted. "You'll probably find out eventually." That wasn't much of an answer, but she let it rest. They split up in the tunnel, and Amy and her went left while the men went straight on. "...You know, this is probably the point in the episode where something pops out of the dirt and scares us, and we start running." Ashley mused after a bit of fruitless looking.

Amy rolled her eyes. "This isn't a television show, Ashley." She said. The girl shrugged. "Just saying. There's always running." They kept running, and Amy paused, shining the light from the torch over a part in the wall. "What is it?" Amy was quiet for a moment, running her hand over the dirt. "There's a draft, and, look, the wall is darker here." Ashley came over, and peered at it. She was right, it was. She pushed on the wall, and it started to move in, some dirt crumbling down. "You can move it." She grunted. "Help me!" Amy looked doubtful. "Or it could be a soft spot in the wall and you're about to collapse the tunnel on us." Ashley flipped her hair out of her eyes, pushing with both hands and leaning into the wall, and gave Amy an irritated look. Amy made a childish face back at her, and they started pushing.

The part of the wall sunk in, and then sort of drew back, sliding to the right, and revealed a bright chamber. There were vines growing all over the walls, and the strange light fruit grew from it, illuminating the space. In the middle of the floor was a little pool, and it looked crystal clear and clean, and was surrounded by grass and rocks. The grass faded into the dirt, and the draft Amy had felt seemed to be coming FROM the pond.

"Doctor to Pond, come in Pond. You haven't checked in for a while." Ashley pulled the communicator out. "It's Poole. We've found something." She said into it, pressing the blue button. "What is it?" Ashley was about to reply, and got a strange look on her face before doing so. "Pond and Poole found a puddle." She quipped, laughing quietly at her joke. Amy let out an abrupt sigh, and took the communicator. "We found a hidden room in the wall, and there's a pond in the middle of it. Doctor, can air come out of water?" She asked. The Doctor chuckled at the little joke Ashley did, finally getting it, and then cleared his throat. "No, not typically. Describe it to me." Amy went over, and looked it over. Ashley was roaming the wall, looking at the light fruit curiously. "Well, it looks like a typical pond from Earth. There's some grass growing around it, and some rocks, but mostly the area is just dirt. The water is pretty clear, too-Wait a minute." Ashley turned her head behind her, her attention caught by Amy. "The water looks like it's reflecting the sky, but, we're underground. It's daytime in the puddle, and I swear, I just saw a bird fly past."

"Hold on, Amy, I'm tracking your signal and we're coming to look ourselves." The Doctor said, clicking out. A few minutes later the Doctor and Rory peered into the hole in the wall. "Fascinating." The Doctor said. "I wonder how many of these Rory and I walked past." Ashley turned her attention back to the fruit, the glow coming from them was mesmerizing. "That is curious." The Doctor said. "It looks like a portal." Ashley turned around, and came over to them. "A what? Portal? That's cool." She said, thinking of a video game she'd played once. "Yes...it looks like it goes to the clearing we were in, as a matter of fact. No wonder I didn't see anything on the scan." He crouched down next to it, and took his jacket up, rolling up a shirt sleeve, and then stuck his hand in it. He went up to his elbow, and felt around, bringing his arm back and holding a handful of grass. "Yes, it's a portal. How interesting." He shook his hand free of grass.

Ashley noticed a noise behind them, and took the torch from Amy, who let go without paying much attention. She looked out in the tunnel, looking both ways, before noticing with some alarm that a mound was traveling towards them. It stopped, and the mound grew bigger, and something clawed it's way free. "Amy! It looks like I was right!" She exclaimed, stumbling back. "What?" Amy started to say as the three turned to look at the opening. A creature that looked like a mole was hulking in the passage, and Ashley, sitting on her rear, having stumbled over her feet in her surprise, was beaming the torch beam into it's face. It didn't look like it could see, and clawed in pain at it's face. It was the size of a bear, and was really an overgrown mole, covered in hardly any fur, and had tiny little eyes that looked almost blind. It had a huge mole snout, complete with the strange fingers moles on Earth had, but the main difference was the size, and the tusks curving up and down out of it's mouth, and the formidable claws sticking out of it's hands and feet.

"Into the puddle!" The Doctor shouted. Rory made Amy go before him before he stepped into it, and Ashley scrambled up, leaping into it before the Doctor did, too. They emerged, spluttering, from the pond, and they scrambled up onto the grass. Ashley half expected the mole to come through the portal, too, but felt a rumbling in her her hands from the ground. She looked around. "I think more of those mole things are coming." Amy said for her, noticing mounds traveling at them through the trees again. "Let them come." The Doctor said, standing tall. "Are you mad? Those things are monsters!" Rory exclaimed. The Doctor looked hurt. "Now, Rory, after all we've been through, you should know there are no monsters. Just aliens. Am I a monster, too, 'cause I'm an alien?" Rory looked put down. "That's not fair." He said. The Doctor titled his head at a mound that stopped at the edge of the clearing. Another mole creature clawed free, and stood there, swaying, it's clawed paws crossed it front of it.

"You are not permitted to leave the Forest of Swad." The thing grunted in English. That was the TARDIS's psychic power going at it, Ashley noted. It pronounced Swad like it was water, with that wa sound. "And why not?" The Doctor asked. "You are needed." He nodded. "See, Poole? I told you there was reason for us being taken." Ashley shrugged. "They didn't have to scare us." The creature raised a paw up, as if to stop the talking. "You are not needed." It said. The Doctor looked confused. "You just said-" The Swaddian, which Ashley dubbed it, interrupted him. "You are not needed. The females are needed." Ashley scooted closer to Amy, feeling worried. What did they need them for? Nothing nasty, she hoped. "What for?" The Doctor asked it. The thing seemed to think for a moment, trying to find the right word. "Little naked things, tiny, weak. Pups, they are very weak." It said. Realization dawned on him. "Oh! Your young is sick? That's why you need a female...Why don't you use one of your own?" The thing actually looked saddened.

"Females are scarce. Had one, and made many pup at once, then eat bad fruit, and die. Many pups, no female. Sick, males had no idea what to do." It said. Ashley felt touched. The men were helpless with children without a woman. "Ah, you see, I'm a Doctor, I fix things. I could assist you." He stepped forwards, then back when other Swaddians stepped forwards aggressively. "Only females allowed with pups." A thing growled at him. The Doctor grimaced. "Pond, Poole, do you think you can do this? I don't think they'll bring the TARDIS up without our help first, and I can't get the TARDIS out of the cave because of something interfering with it underground. The trees have something in their roots." Ashley glanced at Amy. "Think we can do it?" She asked.

"Of course we can. We're women, after all." Amy smirked, and Ashley decided she liked her style. "Yeah, sure." Ashley said. The Doctor smiled. "Right on! Now, we can use the communicators to talk, I don't think they'll let us out of this clearing. Be safe, you two." He said as the Swaddian that had been talking to him waddled over to the girls on it's four feet, letting out a grunt, pushing them to the pool. They looked at each other, then stepped in, going back underground.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	16. Chapter 16

The mole creatures led them deep into the mess of tunnels underground, and Amy looked at the roots that moved out of their way on their own suspiciously. "That's creepy." Ashley said. Amy nodded. "Just a bit." It was like the roots were conscious of them being there. Ashley sidled closer to Amy when one curious root reached out to her foot. Making a face, she made a note to get new clothes. Since it was summer on Earth at the time she'd left, she was wearing only shorts and a tank top, with flip flops. Not too substantial. The Swaddians chattered something, and Ashley didn't catch it, them speaking too fast for her mind to translate. A dark spot in the wall, like where they'd found the portal, was pushed in, and the moles nudged Amy and Ashley through the hole. There were little balls of pink skin curled up together in a heap, and there was a really bad smell.

Ashley's eyes watered, and she and Amy covered their mouths. "What IS that?" Ashley gagged. "No idea, but it's foul." Amy said. Ashley's eyes swept the room. There were dark stains all over the floor, and Ashley skirted around them, assuming excrement and worse. "What are we supposed to do?" Amy asked a Swaddian. "Take care of little ones until they are healthy." It said back. She rolled her eyes. "That doesn't explain much." She grumbled. The creatures turned, and waddled out of the room, the door sinking back into place behind them. Ashley wiggled her toes, and then jumped slightly when the communication device crackled to life. "Doctor to Pond, come in, Pond." The Doctor said.

Ashley passed it to Amy, and went over to look at the babies. They were kind of...Ugly. Sorry, but even being babies they were super ugly. Their eyes were open, and were small and beady, shiny black, and were surrounded by wrinkles of pink skin. They reminded Ashley of those dogs that are born with all their skin. Their fangs were already large, and looked like they'd been eating something that she didn't want to think about. A baby Swaddian close to her perked it's head up, and rolled over to inspect her. It sat there on it's haunches, somewhat hunched over, breathing steadily as Ashley crouched down to look back at it. After a moment a silly smile spread across her face, and she held her hand out for it to smell. It twitched it's strange little nose at her, the little finger like things curling, and it leaned closer to her. It seemed for a moment that it was curious, then it snapped at her, and rolled back into the pile. Ashley drew her hand back quickly, and held it to her chest.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Amy asked. "They've allowed the TARDIS to come back up. It's like they don't need us anymore." He replied. "Good! Get us out of here." She said. "...Yeah, that's the problem. They don't need US, Rory and I, but they aren't talking to us about you two." He said. She groaned. "Wonderful..." Ashley was inching her way around the pile of babies. The smell was getting stronger as she approached them, and she noticed a pile of, well, really gross stuff. If that was their food, no wonder the babies were sick. She picked up what looked like a stick, and poked at it. It made a gross noise, and the stink became worse as she broke the layer of film. Reddish slime oozed out, and she dry heaved. Gross! "Ashley, what are you doing over there? It reeks all of a sudden!" Amy demanded.

"I think I know why the babies are sick. If this is their food, it's rancid." She replied. Something was poking out of the mess, and Ashley poked at it with the stick. It was long, and somewhat yellow, and as she poked, it somewhat fell out of the sludge. It was attached to something, and... "Oh, God." Ashley muttered. It was a long tusk attached to a chin bone. Her eyes darted around, taking in the situation. The pile of sludge was a really badly decomposing body of a Swaddian, and she'd been poking at it's chin with...She dropped the rib bone she'd been holding and wiped her hand on her shirt furiously, backing away from the babies as they started to wake up. They looked hungry.

The Doctor came on the communicator, sounding excited. "You've got to get out of there." He shouted into it. "I figured out what they are, their Creenpleafs, and they eat females. That's their main food source, mature females, for the estrogen, get out of there! They're a lot smarter than they act, don't let them fool you! They ran out of female Creenpleafs for food for the young, and they're going to use you! Run!" Ashley started, and so did Amy, running to the wall and banging on it to get out. "You can't do this!" Ashley shrieked. "Doctor, we're stuck in the den, and they're waking up! They look really hungry." Amy said into the communicator. "Just, get out of there! Wait- Ashley, you were asking about what the red button does. What you need to do is open the back panel of the communicator, and pull out the green wire, and put in the loose yellow wire. Dig a hole in the dirt, and stick it in, and then press the button! Don't get caught it the blast." Blast?

"Why did you make a communicator that's also a bomb?" Ashley shouted at it. "I don't know, I was bored! I need to plan ahead for these things!" He replied. "Now, once it's blown up, obviously we won't be able to talk, so you need to get to that portal pool, and get up top! The TARDIS will be waiting for you!" He said. "Now, go! Just don't get eaten." Amy rolled her eyes, and opened the back as Ashley dug a hole in the wall. They pushed it into it, and pressed the button, cowering back from the blast. The baby Creenpleafs, which had been advancing, drooling, scurried back, and started to dig in the opposite wall.

The blast made a hole in the wall, and as they started to run, retracing their passage, they could hear scurrying in the tunnels. They reached a fork in the road, and stopped. "Which way?" Ashley asked, panicked at the snuffling in the tunnel behind them. "I don't know, weren't you paying attention?" Amy replied, exasperated. "No, I wasn't! You should have been, you're the adult!" Amy rolled her eyes, and then ran left. Ashley paused, thinking right, but when she saw a Creenpleaf behind her, just fifteen yards away, she ran after Amy, shouting. "Geronimo!"

x

They got a bit turned around, and it turned out they should have gone right after all. They needed to slink past the sniffing creatures, and get down the tunnel to the portal pool. "How do we do this? They can smell us." Ashley whispered to Amy, as both were crouched down in a corner. "I don't know. Block our smell?" She whispered back. "How? Rub dirt on us?" Amy gave her a look, and Ashley scowled, scooping dirt into her hands. They rubbed dirt on themselves, and then walked down the tunnel, crouched down and cautious. A Creenpleaf was sniffing the tunnel at the crossroad, and they slid with their backs against the dirt as it turned it's back. They started to run, but roots rose out of the ground, and tangled in their feet. Amy got out, but Ashley fell, caught off guard. The creature turned with a growl at the sound she made on impact, and huddled after her, fangs glistening with drool. She scrambled to get up, but the roots were twined through her flip flops. She gave up, and kicked them off, running down the hall after Amy, barefoot. They nearly ran right into a surfacing mole, and darted around it, jumping into the room with the pool. They jumped through just as claws skimmed Amy's leg, and once they broke the water surface on top, they were heaved out by the Doctor and Rory, pushed into the TARDIS.

The cheated Creenpleafs let out a roar as the time machine dematerialized, and Ashley and Amy sat on the floor, muddy and dripping wet for a moment, stunned. Ashley looked at Amy, and then down at her leg, which had a few shallow gashes in them from the claws, blood mixing in with the dirt. Amy followed her gaze down, and winced. "Oh." She murmured. Ashley turned her head, and stared straight ahead as Rory helped Amy get up. She started to giggle under her breath, and then busted out laughing. The other three gave her a strange look as she started to cry while laughing, holding her sides. "I didn't think it was that funny." Amy said. Ashley stopped laughing abruptly, hiccuping and still crying. "It wasn't. I was just thinking that what happened just now was exactly like an episode." Amy looked cross. "It's not. You can die really easily, look at how close I came with my leg!" Ashley looked at her with wet eyes. "I know. That's why I'm sad. We almost died, and I'm in another dimension. Nobody at home would ever know what happened to me."

x

It took a while for Ashley to completely calm down over what had happened in the Forest of Swad, and she doubted she'd ever get over it. She'd gotten cleaned up, and, since she'd lost her flip flops, the Doctor showed her his costume closet, and she picked out a new outfit. This time she'd picked out a large white shirt with a blue stripe across the top, and tan shorts that went to her knees. She'd also sensibly picked out a pair of white sneakers that had a red stripe running around the bottom of them. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and then went out to the others in the TARDIS control room. "So, what's happening now?" She asked. "Nothing. The Doctor is lost, and we're just hanging." The Doctor scoffed, tinkering with something under the walkway. "We are NOT lost...Just...A little confused in direction. The TARDIS got a bit fuddled under those trees."

"Fuddled equals lost." Amy mouthed to Ashley. "Now, if I just..." He trailed off, using his Screwdriver to fix something. There was a hiss of steam, and he hit something metal on something else metal. "Behave!" He grumbled. Ashley leaned over the edge to look at him upside down. "What's wrong?" She asked. "She's being stubborn. I keep fixing this valve, and she's loosening it whenever I move on." He said, wiping his forehead with a rag. He'd taken off his jacket, and was sweating. "Is it just me, or is it hot in here?" He asked. "It's not just you, sorry. It is a bit warm in here." Ashley replied, cracking a grin. "Oh, darn. Well, as soon as I get her to behave, I'll get things a bit cooler." He said. Ashley was quiet for a moment, thinking about what she knew of the TARDIS. "...Maybe she's trying to tell you something?" She suggested.

"Like what?" The Doctor asked, turning in the swing seat to look up at her. "I don't know, but maybe she is. Maybe she wants you to look more closely at the problem, or she wants you to land, or maybe she's objecting to the use of a monkey wrench being hit against her," Ashley smirked. "Or maybe she's just being a woman and it's her time." He looked briefly confused, and then Amy laughed. "Oh! Ew, I don't want to think about that." He said. Turning back to study the TARDIS, he rubbed his chin, peering more closely at everything. "Is it getting hotter?" Rory asked, running his finger around his shirt collar to get a bit of air. Ashley swung back over, standing up straight and leaning against the guard rail. "Yeah, I think so. Doctor! What's going on?" Amy called. "No idea! She's never acted like this before. Woah!" There was a loud hiss of steam. "You stop that!" He objected. He climbed up to the main controls, and spun a dial. "I'm going to take her out of the vortex so I can look her over better." The Doctor said. The landing was rough, and it was getting hot to the point of annoyance. "Something's gonna happen." Ashley mused. "Yes, I get that feeling, too." The Doctor muttered, still trying to figure out what was going on.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)

Finally! An update! Sorry this took so long, Author has been lacking motivation. Since you are all being such patient readers, I will treat you all to a five chapter update the day after tomorrow. :D


	17. Chapter 17

Ashley went over to the door, and was about to open it when she paused. "Is it safe to open the door?" She asked cautiously. The Doctor glanced at a screen, and nodded. "The atmosphere is fit for a human, but it might be a bit hot out there." He said. "We're on ESRB, and the main inhabitants are made out of living lava. Might want to stay away from them, too, by the way." He said. Ashley grimaced as she opened the door and a dry blast of heat hit her. There she was, thinking that the inside of the TARDIS was hot, too! "Whoa, boy, it's hot." Amy said, looking outside over Ashley's head. "You're telling me..." The girl muttered, hopping down to the ground. They'd landed on a little outcropping of rock, so there was a step down. "Careful, there's a drop." She said without turning around when she heard someone fall. "Now you tell me." Rory grumbled. "Oh, you silly." Amy helped him up, and dusted his pants off. ESRB reminded her a lot of how she pictured Mars. It was mainly red dirt, and the sky was a brick red, like a lot of the red dust on the ground was up in the clouds, too. She wouldn't doubt it. There were trees, if the was what they really were. They looked something like palm trees, but were rather short, and round, and completely smooth. She poked her finger against it, and it sank in a bit, like there was something moist inside making the bark swell out. The leaves stuck out like the top of a carrot, and there were little round, brown nut things at the base of each leaf. Ashley picked a few, and pocketed most of them, playing with just one.

The nut, or whatever it was, was completely smooth and perfectly round, and was quite hard. She tapped her nails against it, and it made a hollow noise. She shook it next to her ear, and something small and hard rattled inside it. "What did you find?" Amy called, noticing what she was doing. "I think it's a nut." She called back. "I'm just fiddling with it." Boy, she was sweating. It felt like the middle of July. Well, in a way, it was. It'd been the middle of July when she'd ended up in this universe, and it'd really only been a few days for her, so it'd still be July. Fitting. She went to a whole different universe and planet, and she was still melting. She wandered around the area that the TARDIS landed in, not letting the blue box out of her sight, and took in everything. Apart from red rocks, red dust, those strange trees, and some crab things that she thought were rocks, the area was empty. She'd crouched down to pick up a rock when it wiggled. Ashley had gasped, and dropped it so it landed with the side that had been facing up down on the dust. Eight rocky looking legs reached up into the air from where they'd been pulled in, and waved around desperately, trying to catch something to pull itself right again.

Ashley gingerly pushed on it's back, and flipped it over. It let out a sound that was strangely familiar to a Harrumph, and it settled back down into it's rock imitation after scuttling sideways a few feet. Two eye stalks came out from under it's shell to peer at her, almost looking irritated. "Hey, sorry!" She found herself saying, holding her hands up in defeat. The crab eyed the nut in her hand, and she glanced at it, holding it out after a moment for it. The crab just looked at it for a moment, then looked around, swiveling it's eye stalks as it checked for any other watching crab rocks in the area. It slowly inched over to her, and then stuck out a pincher, waiting. She lowered it, and it snagged it, settling down there and munching on it. Some hidden little mouth easily scraped the hard nut shell, and she actually grateful she couldn't see the sharp little teeth that had to be there. The TARDIS made a strange noise just then, and she looked up, startled. The light at the top of the box was flashing a strange, yellowish sort of light, and it just didn't look right, like the machine was sick. She stood up, and stretched her legs. The crab swiveled it's eye stalks to look up at her, then scuttled to rest underneath one of the trees.

Ashley watched it, deeming it cute, then went back to the TARDIS, hopping up inside. "What was that noise?" She asked the Doctor. "She is trying to tell me something, and it's not good." He sighed. "It's like she's gotten a virus, you know how a computer does, but it's much, much worse. She's practically running a fever." Ashley raised her eyebrows, so that was why it was so hot in there. "Is there anything I could help with?" She offered. "Yes, as a matter of fact. Go down below, and loosen the valve I was messing with earlier all the way. She was trying to cool herself off, and I kept stopping her, stupid head that I am." He tossed her a wrench, and she went down, settling herself in the swing and loosening the valve. It was somewhat hard, but she got it suddenly loosened, a spray of cool steam spraying her in the face. "Hey!" She exclaimed, startled. "What happened?" The Doctor called down. "Just got sprayed, I'm fine. It's just water." He didn't mention that he didn't use water in the TARDIS system, and he decided that she wouldn't want to know what he did use.

Amy and Rory looked inside. "How's everything coming?" Amy asked. "It's rather hot out here. It's almost cooler in here, though not much." Rory added. The Doctor wiped his forehead again with the rag, and then heaved out a sigh. "Not good. I need to get the TARDIS cooled down, but we landed on a very hot planet, and she doesn't have enough power to move for a while..." He said, patting the console. Ashley came back off, wiping her face off with the hem of her shirt. "So what do we do?" She asked. "Well, we basically stay here until this virus is out of her system, let her rest some, then we can go." He replied. "How long exactly would that take?" Amy asked, suspicious. "Oh, maybe just a day, maybe just a few, or maybe a week." A week? That would be like being in a heat wave back home.

"Oh, joy." Rory said. "Stuck out on a planet where there's no water, living in an overheated box. That's relaxing." The Doctor looked at him. "Oh, there's water." He said. Ashley furrowed her eyebrows. "There's trees and creatures out there, right? Even the lava creatures need a bit of water. It's most likely under the surface." Amy shifted uncomfortably, getting too sweaty for her liking for just standing around. "We don't have the pool anymore, do we?" She asked. The Doctor shook his head. "Sorry. I had to get rid of it when we were chasing after the Daleks so we'd be lighter. I wish I hadn't, though, now." Ashley did, too. "...Is there any place cool in here?" She asked. "Well, not really. Everything should be as hot as it is in here, and the water for the baths won't be running because she needs it to cool herself." The companions groaned, all exasperated. "None of that! How about we go explore for a bit to get our minds off of the heat, alright?" The Doctor suggested.

"Wouldn't that make us even more hotter...?" Ashley mumbled to herself. "Oh, hush, Poole." The Doctor muttered. "I'm warm, myself." She laughed despite her annoyed mood. "Fine." She relented. "Up for an adventure, Ponds?" He asked the couple. "Sure, whatever." Amy said, shrugging. He hopped out of the TARDIS, making a cloud of red dust poof up in the air where he landed. Ashley stepped out, closing the door behind her. The Doctor paused, and made sure to lock the door before setting off. "Right! First off, there is vegetation, and trees need water. They mean that they are sitting on top of an underground spring, just look at how hydrated these are." He patted a tree trunk. "Now the question is, how do we get under the ground, ourselves?" They wandered a bit, and then Rory found something. "Hey, over here. There's a hole." The Doctor came over, and looked in. "Looks like a tunnel! Nice looking, Rory. Don't you feel how cool it is inside? This must lead to the water." He grinned. "Ladies first." The Doctor said mischievously.

Ashley scowled, and lowered herself into the tunnel. It was a little tight, but as soon she was in the hole, she found herself in a little cavern just short of standing room. "I'm down! Careful, it's a low ceiling." She called up, crouching down to look around without bumping her head. Amy, then Rory came down. The Doctor lowered himself in, and his hands slipped, landing hard on his feet. Ashley snorted, and looked away, feeling playful now that she was cooler. The Doctor rolled his eyes, and wiped his hands on his trousers. He used his Sonic as a torch, and it lit up the cavern a bit. "Now, there appear to be two tunnels. One is a bit lighter, so it probably leads to another surface entrance, so let's go left." He said, starting down it. Ashley hung close to Amy. "Personally, I'd rather go in the lighter one." She whispered. Amy laughed. "Yeah, you feel that way some times after all the stuff you go through with the Doctor." She said.

They walked for a bit, and Ashley couldn't help but remember walking through underground tunnels just yesterday, and how that all turned out, and found herself listening for scuffling in the dirt. It was completely quiet except for the sound of their footsteps and their breathing. After a while, they bumped into what looked like a dead end, but then the Doctor shone his Sonic to the right, and it revealed a sharp turn in the tunnel. It was narrower in there, and they had to walk in single file to continue. It got cooler as they continued, and even felt a bit damp. Soon enough the sound of lapping water reached their ears, and Ashley sighed in relief as they entered a vast cavern. There was a large, dark pool of water, the middle bubbling some where water came up to feed the spring. It was somewhat light, and, upon looking up, the ceiling revealed an opening that let in the light. The ceiling was a mess of roots from the peculiar trees, and several red rocks were huddled in little groups in the roots. Ashley laughed suddenly, realizing that they were the rock crabs.

Every once in a while, the crabs would get into little scuffles, and would poke at each other with their legs. Once a crab fell down and landed in the water with a splash. It floated to the surface, and skimmed across the water sideways, crawling up onto the land near the four, and then scuttled up the wall, nearly completely vertical, keeping on it's trek until it was safely on the ceiling again, huddled in the roots. After the Doctor scanned the water to make sure nothing nasty was lurking under the water, they sat down on the bank, taking their shoes off and sticking their feet in the water. It was a cute sight, the Doctor and Rory had their pants rolled up to their knees, and Amy and Ashley were mischievously flicking water at each other every once in a while. Ashley accidentally hit Rory, and he teamed up with Amy, both splashing her now. Ashley splashed the Doctor, saying that he'd better make things fair, and pretty soon an all out water splashing war broke out. They laughed, and Ashley waded out into the water, going to her knees as she tried to out maneuver the Ponds. The Doctor got in the way, and the two drenched him. Spluttering, he waded after them. "It is on!" He declared. They laughed, and ran off. Ashley stood there, smiling for a moment before splashing after them. This felt much nicer than almost being eaten by moles.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	18. Chapter 18

After everyone was thoroughly drenched, the Ponds and Ashley sat down on the bank to lie down and maybe doze some. The Doctor said he was going to back track and go check on the TARDIS, and left them alone for a bit. Amy and Rory cuddled with each other, and Ashley lay down on her stomach, using her finger to draw in the ground where the water kept it moist. She got bored, and turned around to lay facing the other way. Her toes being lapped by the water, she closed her eyes, dozing. Something splashed in the water, and after a a bit, something shifted near her head, and she opened her eyes. It was a rock crab, and it paused in it's sideways trek to the wall to watch her. She smiled, and reached into her pocket where she'd put some of the nuts. Ashley held it out, and the crab took it from her hesitantly. It held it above itself triumphantly, and scuttled up the wall, the nut held in it's claw. She laughed, and flipped over onto her back to watch it climb up to the ceiling.

The crab settled away from the others to eat it, and while it did, the hole that was letting in the light darkened. The crabs let out a series of frantic noises, and they dropped into the water below. Even the rock crab she'd fed abandoned it's treat and fell into the water. They hurriedly skimmed across the surface to a little hole in the wall to hide. Something had scared them. Ashley stood up, and squinted at the hole. Something that looked like...Black goop...Was slowly squeezing itself through the hole. It hung there for a moment, looking like a massive black water drop, then fell into the water, causing a huge splash. Amy and Rory looked up at that, and got up slowly. The thing was slowly convulsing, and then started to glide over the water like an oil spill toward them. "...I don't like the look of that." Ashley said.

"Neither do I." Rory said, taking a few steps back as the thing neared shore. "...How about we go see what the Doctor is doing?" Amy suggested. They backed up quickly as the thing formed into a blob mass on the shore, water running off of it, then ran into the tunnel to get away. A gross sucking noise followed them in the tunnel a little bit off, and Ashley knew it was following them. They hit the dead end trick turn, and almost panicked, looking back into the darkness of the tunnel at the blob that was still following them. It was completely dark, and they were feeling their way along the tunnel wall, stumbling, but hurrying. "Go left!" Amy barked, finding the turn. They ran until they reached the cavern where they first entered, and hauled themselves up one by one through the hole. Rory was the last up, and he almost fell back down into the cavern when the ground crumbled. Amy and Ashley both let out a shout, and grabbed his arms, pulling. He scrambled to safety on the ground, and Ashley paused to look at the blob.

It was massive, and the color of an oil spill. Now that it was in the light, she could see rainbow streaks swirling around on it, and she felt herself grow confused. She leaned forward, reaching out, and the blob rose up to meet her hand. Amy noticed what she was doing, and grabbed her, pulling her back sharply. "Oh, no you don't." She said. Ashley blinked, and felt like she'd just woken up. "What just happened?" She asked. "Nothing good. Come on, let's get going." With one last glance at the blob, Ashley followed the others back to the TARDIS. She didn't notice that it flung itself to the edge, pulling itself up onto the ground and rolling along after them.

X

The yellow light had stopped flashing, but it wasn't exactly it's normal color, either. They went inside, and Ashley made sure to close the door. "Any better?" Amy asked the Doctor. He looked up, startled to see them there, then shook his head. "Not much. A little, but not much. I thought you were having fun by the water?" He said. Ashley glanced at the door. "There was something strange following us." She said. He arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Like what?" Ashley shrugged, not sure how to describe it. "It was like a blob of goop, but it looked like an oil slick... When I looked at it, it made me muddled." Amy frowned. "What ever it was, I didn't like it. It followed us through the tunnels all the way to the cavern." The Doctor looked curious. "A carnivorous blob, that's strange. They don't like the heat typically." He said. Ashley was startled. "Carnivorous?" She gasped.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. Have you ever seen the horror movie The Blob before? Based off of them. The screenwriter had a minor encounter with one and thus that horribly made cheesy horror movie was born. Didn't get a thing right except for the fact that they do in fact dissolve you to eat you, and dislike the cold." He said. "Though, they're relatively quicker in eating that he portrayed. They can dissolve a fill grown hippopotamus in twelve seconds. I would like to get a look at it, they're actually quite rare." He mused. Amy coughed. "Uh, Doctor, I don't think you'll have to go far." She said, looking in horror at the door. The windows were slowly darkening as the blob slowly stretched and covered them. "...You said they can eat a hippo in twelve seconds. How fast would it take to eat a TARDIS?" Ashley asked. The Doctor scoffed. "Nothing can EAT a TARDIS, Poole." He said, though he sounded uncertain. "...What if it's a sick TARDIS?" She asked quietly. He blinked. "Point taken."

He turned around, and tried to get the TARDIS to transport. A siren went off, and he scowled, hitting the edge of the console with the palm of his hand. "Great!" He complained. "We don't have enough power to get back into the time vortex, she's still not ready yet." Ashley shifted uneasily, imagining the blob seeping in through the gap in the door. Wait. She wasn't imagining. "Let me guess. Since the TARDIS is sick, you have the shields down." She said. The Doctor looked at her, startled. "Yes, how did you guess?" He asked. She simply pointed at the intruding oil slick. He let out a muttered curse, and then tried all sorts of things on the control. Ashley was thinking quickly over her Doctor Who knowledge. "If we can't go into the Time Vortex, can we just go to another planet in the same time?" She asked. He paused, then nodded. "Yes, I suppose that would work, but the blob would just stay with us now that it's partially inside."

Amy backed away from the blob as it oozed it's way toward her and Rory. "You'd better figure out something quickly!" She exclaimed. Ashley gritted her teeth, thinking some more. "How about you just take us to a really cold planet? If this is like the Blob from the movie, we can just freeze it and then we can just leave it after the TARDIS is better. If we're somewhere cold, too, wouldn't that cool the TARDIS down, too?" The Doctor's face lit up. "Brilliant!" He said, turning to the console. "Just brilliant, Poole. Why didn't I think of that?" He asked himself. "You've never watched Doctor Who." Ashley said. "You only know your part, I know almost everyone's." She grinned cheekily. He looked unsettled. "Yes. I forgot about that for a moment." He spun a dial, and they launched off into space, landing roughly on another planet a few moments later. The blob was making it's way after Amy and Rory, who kept backing away from it. The Doctor snapped his fingers, and the TARDIS doors opened. "Everyone outside! Let's lure it out into the ice, then we'll trap it outside."

Amy and Rory turned, and headed quickly outside. "Won't it just get back in if the shields are down?" Ashley asked. "Not if we can get off of this planet before it comes back." The Doctor said. "Outside! It's coming after us, now." They hurried after Amy and Rory, and stood, shivering in the cold as the opened TARDIS steamed into the cold night air. The blob rolled after them, having a one track mind, and that being food. They all back away from it slowly, drawing it further away from the TARIDS. "One other thing. Don't look directly at it. It has something about it that hypnotizes it's victims and draws them in." The Doctor said. Ashley blinked, and averted her gaze. That must have been what happened at the cavern. "That reminds me of another horror story that you've got on Earth." The Doctor said as they maneuvered behind a big ice block. "These things float quite easily on top of the water, like oil, and can take any shape they wish. There was a story that was more of a documentation about one of these that took the shape of a perfect circle, and some teenagers touched it and got eaten. It gets bigger the more it eats, and it trapped two teenagers on a diving dock in the middle of a lake. Sad story."

The blob oozed over the block, still pursuing them. "Back to the TARDIS!" The Doctor suddenly shouted. They scrambled on the ice, and then ran back, slipping along the way. Amy slammed the door shut as she came in, and the Doctor quickly moved them out of there. After a moment, Ashley allowed herself to stop gripping the guard rail. "...We're safe now?" She asked. "Yes! The TARDIS is much better now, too. We can just float along in the time vortex while she fixes all the little things." He fondly patted the console. "She just had a little bug." Ashley rolled her eyes. The boy and his toy. "That...Was pretty freaky. I'll never be able to look at another monster movie the same way." She said. Amy laughed. "That was my line a few years ago, too. Vampires in Venice, can you believe it?" Ashley perked up. "I remember that! Those bug things made me terrified to go outside for a while, and especially into the water." Amy looked confused, and Ashley shrugged. "It was in an episode back home." She nodded, getting what she meant now.

The Doctor turned around to look at his companions. "I can imagine you'd all like to get some rest. Miss Ashley Poole, the TARDIS has made you a room." He said. "It's even got a bunk bed, isn't that cool?" He grinned. "What's the point of having a bunk bed if there's only one person?" He rolled his eyes. "The bottom part is a desk, the bed is on top." He explained, and Ashley smiled. "Oh, cool! Thank you." She said. He nodded, pleased that someone else agreed that bunk beds were cool, and led her to her room. "The bathroom is just down the hall in the third door." He said, giving her shoulder a pat and going back to the console. She watched him leave, then turned, opening her door and going inside. Her eyes lit up, and she happily bounced on her toes. Her room was so. Cool.

The bunk bed was tucked against the left wall in the corner, and had a cool little curving staircase that lead to the top. On top of the desk was her purse, and she smiled, so that was where it went! The floor was covered in a really nice comfortable carpet, and against the front wall, the one the door face, was a wardrobe. She crossed to it, and opened it, revealing her clothes from back home. Ashley blinked, startled, then laughed, figuring that the TARDIS must have read her mind and created a closet of her familiar clothes. They even had the familiar wear of her old clothes. Everything in her closet was there, down to her new dress she got for her birthday! Ashley jumped around in circle, utterly pleased. It was a big wardrobe, and on one side was a column of cubbyholes, and in one was a wooden jewelry box filled with her jewelry. Ashley wondered briefly why the TARDIS went to such extent to bring her this wardrobe filled with home, and figured that she was just being kind.

On the left side of the door was a small plush lounge chair, and a little table slash cabinet. On the top of it was a small lamp that mysteriously turned on and off even though there was not plug leading to the wall, and in the cabinet was some small stacks of reading books of genres she enjoyed. She kicked her shoes off, and climbed up the staircase to her bed, and flopped down face first into the pillow. It smelled clean, and almost like rosemary and lemons. She smiled into the pillow, and then turned her head, staring at the wall until she was asleep. It almost felt like home in here.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	19. Chapter 19

A pounding worked it's way into Ashley's head as she dozed. One two three four. One two three four. "Ashley?" A voice called in the distance. She opened her eyes, confused, and then blinked, sitting up. Someone was knocking on the door to her room. "Ashley, you in there?" Amy called. "Come on out, the Doctor has a surprise for us." She said. Her footsteps faded away down the hall. Ashley slid off of the bed, and went down the steps, sliding back into her shoes before leaving. She traced her way back to the console room, and climbed the stairs. "Ah, there you are, Poole!" The Doctor said. "Enjoy your nap?" He asked. She nodded, and turned her head away as she yawned. "Yeah, it was nice. I really like my room, and the bunk bed, too." She said. He smiled. "Good. Now." He spun on his foot, and cracked his fingers. I just got mail from a friend of mine, and she wants us to meet her on a resort planet."

Ashley perked up. "She?" Ashley said, sounding hopeful. "Would this she also be water?" She asked. The Doctor looked puzzled. "Water? No, she's flesh and bone just like us-" Ashley giggled. "I didn't mean made of water! I meant more like a Pond, a Poole, and a River." She winked. He got it, and chuckled. "Yes! Smart girl, it's River Song." Amy looked pleased. "It's been almost a year! I wonder what trouble she's gotten into now." Rory smiled. "Yeah, she always calls for you when she's in a mess." The Doctor pursed his lips. "Now, it's not always like that." He said in River's defense. "Oh, yeah?" Amy challenged. "Name the last time she called you and she wasn't in trouble." He blinked, then shrugged. "Point taken. This time will be different, though."

x

"You weren't kidding when you said it was a resort world." Ashley said in awe. It looked like a luxury resort by the beach in Florida at home, one of those really fancy, really expensive ones she'd seen on TV. The sand was fine and white, and the water was clean and a very vibrant, sparkling blue. The skies were clear and a bright sky blue, no pun intended, and the few clouds in the sky were pure white and cottony. Fancy palm trees lined the beach, and a tall resort stood in magnificent glory. It all made Ashley feel rather...Poor and dirty. Beings of different species walked all over the place, and a family of cat people played in the sand on the beach.

"Nope! It's really a space ship, and it's flat, and has an atmosphere dome, but it's an interplanetary resort, 9 stars!" The Doctor said, pulling something over his head. That was when Ashley started paying attention to what he was wearing. "What in the world are you wearing?" Amy asked, looking appalled. He was wearing khaki shorts, a blue Hawaiian style shirt, flip flops, and had just pulled on a pink flower lei. "Resort clothes, obviously." He said. "You look like a tourist." Ashley said. He shrugged. "I basically am, I'm the biggest tourist there is in a way." Ashley shrugged back. Fair enough.

She turned, and noticed a smiling woman walking up the sand dune to them. She was wearing a sea blue dress that was very pretty, and had a white flower tucked into her curly dirty blonde hair. "Hello, sweetie!" She greeted the Doctor. He grinned brightly, and hugged her. "River! How are you doing?" He asked. "Just fine, but...What ARE you wearing?" She asked, giving him a critical eye. "I'm dressed for a resort, why does everyone keep asking?" He asked. River glanced at Amy, and then they both looked away, laughing. River noticed Ashley, and gave her a confused smile. "Who's this?" She asked. Ashley suddenly felt shy, and gave her a little waggle of her fingers as a wave.

"This is Ashley Poole, and it's rather a long story. I think we should find somewhere comfortable to sit, and we can explain." The Doctor said. River nodded. "Alright. I've got a cabana by the water for us, so we can settle down there. They've got some drinks that are just amazing that I want you to try." She said. River led them down across the sand to a little wooden cabana that was in the shade of several palm trees. River typed something in a pad built into a post, and a few minutes later a little hovering serving tray came with several icy fruit drinks. As everyone settled down into chairs, River Song leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands. "Now. That long story?" She asked.

Ashley swallowed her sip of the drink, and then shifted uncomfortably. "Well, uhm. It started a few months ago... You see, I'm actually, uhm, from another universe." River blinked, taking it in. "...Go on." Ashley licked her lips. "Well, your life, the Doctor's, really, and everything he's done, it's actually a television show at my home. I entered a contest to be featured in an episode, and I won. The Doctor is actually a man named Matt Smith, and they are identical twins, almost! The Doctor's hair is a bit darker. Only difference I can find." She coughed. "Anyway. Sine I won the contest, I went to London, and we filmed an episode. I was walking one day, and I found this watch in my purse. I opened it, and then, boom, I found myself in this universe." She shrugged. "It's a lot more complicated than I can explain, but that's the low down." She said.

River nodded. "That certainly is interesting. I'm a television star?" She smiled. "That's nice." Ashley giggled. "So you know about me. How much?" She asked. Ashley blinked. "Well, your whole time line confuses me, but I know about how the Doctor figured out about you, and what happened on the beach and how he...Uh...Married you...And...How you guys put Hitler in the cupboard." She blinked, then suddenly snorted, realizing something. "Oh, my goodness. You never let him out!" She laughed. The others blinked, then chuckled themselves. "I also know spoilers, but...Eh. Not going there." She glanced at the Doctor, and he nodded, appreciating it. "Well!" River exclaimed. "That's very interesting. Now, not to be rude, but I've got something to ask." Amy looked at the Doctor smugly. "I told you." She said.

River looked at her innocently. "Told him what, Mom?" She asked. Amy made a face. "Thank you for making me feel old." She muttered. River smiled. "Anyways. There's this little thing that crashed into the water, and I need to find it." The Doctor gave her a look. "What little thing?" He asked. "Oh, nothing, really. It's just a small thing that a friend gave me, and it's rather expensive, and he doesn't know he gave it to me yet, and I need to find it again before he finds out." River said. The Doctor groaned. "River, are you telling me that you stole something then lost it?" He asked. She shrugged. "Not lost it, it's just misplaced. I know it's out in the water, I just can't find it on my own." She said. "Why not? You're resourceful enough." She gave him an embarrassed smile, and lifted the hem of her dress. Something was cuffed to her ankle, and it made the Doctor smack his forehead.

"You got arrested again." He said, and it wasn't even a question. She shrugged, still smiling. "I'm on probation, and I'm allowed a vacation for a week once every year. I chose this place because I needed to be close to the...Artifact." She said. The Doctor was shaking his head. "I don't want to get involved with your trouble, River." He said. She pouted, and batted her eyelashes at him. "Come on, sweetie." She said with a sugary voice. "Please? I'd do it myself, but I can't go more than 3 miles away from my room." She said. "I've located the area where it is, but I can't go get it, so I called in the professionals." Amy, Rory, and the Doctor turned, and looked at each other. When the Doctor let out a sigh, Ashley rolled her eyes. They were going down.

X

They hung out at the resort for the rest of the day, River saying that she could afford time for them to relax as a family. Ashley felt a bit dizzy when she said that. They WERE a family. Amy and Rory were married, River Song, Melody Pond, really, was their daughter, and River was married to the Doctor. Ashley felt like the odd one out, going to sit by herself on the beach as the family laughed together over memories. It felt odd, knowing their lives, but not really being apart of it. She stared out at the water, and then flopped onto her back in the sand, not even caring if she got her clothes all full of it. She blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes with the back of her fist. She wanted her father. Oh, God. There was nothing at this moment that she wanted more than to be at home with her father, curled up in his arms as he held her, protecting her from the world as Mickey purred at their feet and Ian slept pressed up against Ashley's back.

A beach ball bounced lightly off of her stomach, and Ashley lifted her head, looking to see who it belonged to. A boy from the family of cats was waving to her. "Sorry!" He called. "Mind tossing that back?" Ashley got up, and brushed off the sand, going and picking up the beach ball and bunting it back. He caught it, and shouted a thank you before running back to his siblings. She sat back down, and watched them play, hitting the beach ball back and forth between the five children, trying not to let the ball hit the ground. She'd seen their species before in a Doctor Who episode. Their body build was like a human's, but they were covered in fur, and their face looked like a cats. They even had cute little cat ears on the top of their heads, but no tail, as far as she could see. Either they didn't have one, or they kept it tucked in their clothes.

Someone behind her called Ashley's name, and she turned around. The Doctor was waving her over, and she got up, brushing sand off of her rear as she went over to the cabana. "We're going to check into the rooms, Poole." He said. "Come along. We can come back out later after we're set up." He turned, and started walking along with Amy, Rory, and River. Ashley paused, looking back at the cats, then followed after them, her hands jammed into the pockets. They got their rooms, and after a bit of a discussion, they settled on River and the Doctor having SEPERATE rooms, which made Ashley smile, Amy and Rory sharing a room, and Ashley having a room that was connected to River's by a door. They all were in the same hall, and the Doctor's room was right across the hall from Ashley's and River's, and the Ponds' room were a few doors down on the Doctor's side. Ashley kicked off her shoes and socks, and sat on the bed, having the blinds drawn and the lights off. Her throat was thick, and she ached with homesickness. "Daddy...I miss you. Have you even realized I'm gone?" She whispered to the air.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	20. Chapter 20

Ashley sat on the bed for a while, just staring ahead blankly, blinking occasionally. How long had it been back in home? Time could be confusing, and maybe it acted like Narnia. Gone for twenty years and back a minute after you left, is that how universal travel worked? She shivered. Hopefully she wouldn't be gone for twenty years... She lay down on her back on the bed, and focused her gaze on the ceiling, tracing the lines on it. She'd done this many times as a child, creating a whole new world based off of the little cracks in the ceiling. There was a person sitting in a field of clouds on this one, and they were reaching up longingly to the sun. She blinked, and her eyes unfocused, then focused again. The person wasn't in a field of clouds anymore, but was instead was being pulled down into a pit, reaching out desperately for the hole above. Ashley sat up suddenly, feeling cold. It was darker in the room, and she realized she'd been blanking out for over an hour.

Sliding off of her bed, she went down the hall and down the stairs to the lobby, not even bothering to put on her shoes. They were at a beach resort, after all, if you weren't barefoot, you were overdressed. Even River Song had been barefoot when she first came to meet them. The Doctor was sitting off in a table with River in a corner, alone, and Amy and Rory were walking down the path to the beach, hand in hand. Ashley rolled her eyes, and then left the building, walking down the path in the opposite direction to a more active part of the beach. The family of cats had left, but the boy with the beach ball was there with a sibling, making sand castles. Ashley settled down on the sand, her back pressed against a palm tree, and stared out at the water. A light breeze ruffled her hair, and she had to remind herself that she wasn't on a beach at home, but rather in a space ship. The air was probably generated.

Pulling her knees up, she rested her head on them, closing her eyes. Someone stood in front of her after a minute, and she looked up, startled. The boy was standing in front of her, grinning and holding a bucket full of sand in one hand, and a shovel in the other. "Want to make a sand castle with us?" He asked. Ashley was a bit surprised, why was he offering? She was a complete stranger, and, well, a different species all together. She found herself smiling, and nodded. "Sure." She said, getting up and following him back to his sister and their partially built sand castle. His name was Frederick, and his sister's name was Clarice, and it was their birthday today. Well, it was all their siblings' birthday today, because they were all born in the same litter. Ashley smiled.

"How old are you?" She asked kindly. Frederick grinned at her, and said proudly, "Twelve!" Ashley laughed. "Oh, goodness, you're getting old!" She teased. Frederick giggled, and shook his head. "Not as old as Dad is, or Mum, they're super old." Clarice playfully hit her brother in the arm. "Don't let them hear you!" She giggled. Frederick shrugged. "They're inside, they can't hear." He said. They sat down in the sand, and began packing it into the bucket, carefully flipping them upside down and building the castle. They dug a moat around their masterpiece, and filled it with water, making a little bridge across it with part of a palm frond. They decorated it with collected shells, then settled back to admire their work.

"That's the best sand castle ever." Frederick declared. Clarice agreed. "Thank you for helping us!" She said sweetly. Ashley smiled. "Thank you for letting me!" Someone behind them called the children by their names, and they all turned around to look. The father was waving to them, and told them to come in and get ready for dinner. Frederick and Clarice said goodnight to Ashley, then ran up to their father, laughing and telling him about their castle. Ashley smiled after them, then turned to look at the castle with a somber expression. Now that she wasn't distracted anymore, she started to feel lonely again.

The tide came in, and eventually it washed over the castle, smoothing it out. She blinked, and then turned her head, feeling someone watching her. With a chill she made out a tall figure in a black suit standing in the distance, observing her. Without looking away, knowing that she'd forget, she wrote in the sand with her finger. "There is a Silence on the beach." Amy called her name from behind her, and, startled, Ashley looked behind her, feeling dazed. She waved to them, and as the Ponds walked over to her, River and the Doctor came down to the beach, too.

"What have you been up to, Ashley?" The Doctor asked. "We hadn't seen you for a while." Ashley shrugged. "I just chilled in my room, and then built a sand castle with some kids." She said. "Really? Where is it?" Amy asked, looking around. Ashley shrugged again. "I guess the water washed it away." She said. River left the Doctor's side, and came around Ashley to look down at something in the water. "What's this?" She asked, looking at writing in the sand.

"What's what?" Ashley stood up to get out of the way. "'There is a Silence on the beach.'" River read. Everyone looked distinctly alarmed. "What?" Ashley felt her heart jump, and she looked around, worried. She didn't see anyone else on the beach except for them. "Ashley, did you write this?" The Doctor asked, looking at it, too. She shook her head. "No...Well, I don't think so. Maybe I did?" She sounded uncertain. "What were you just doing?" Amy asked. "I was just sitting here, and then I heard you, and looked behind me." The Doctor tapped his chin. "There might be one. If you did watch us in a television show, you know you forget about them the instant you look away." Ashley nodded, she knew that.

"Well, that certainly puts a damper on stuff." Rory said. Ashley shivered, feeling cold. "Could we go inside?" She asked. River nodded. "Yes, of course. We just came out to tell you that dinner will be served soon." They all went back to the resort with a bit of haste, and Ashley looked out behind her as she stood in the door with a bit of apprehension as everything outside darkened. Amy said her name, and she hurried inside, the door closing behind her.

X

During dinner they all sat at the same table, talking and sharing stories. After a while the topic drifted to Ashley, and the Doctor raised an eyebrow at her, noticing she hadn't spoken one word. She shrugged. "So, Ashley. What's the show like back home?" Amy asked. Ashley thought about it. "Well, it's really just like how everything has been since I got here, but there's dramatic music every once in a while." She laughed, and Amy grinned at her. "What's your favorite episode?" Rory asked, grinning at her cheekily. She had to think about it for a while, making sure to choose one that would cause any offense or give away spoilers or any other unwanted information. "I liked the ones with the Pandorica." She finally said. The Doctor looked mildly surprised. "What did you like about it?" He asked.

Ashley shrugged. "It was just awesome! You were just totally epic with all those aliens, and Rory came back, and it was just so cute how he waited all that time for Amy. She got brought back to life, and the Doctor didn't get locked away, and I just can't even!" She let out a frustrated sigh. "You made me laugh a lot when you were messing around with the younger Amy, and, really? A mop and a fez?" They all laughed. "Then you all set everything back to normal, and Amy and Rory got married with Amy's parents there, and you remembered the Doctor, and...Eh, Doctor, you really can't dance." He looked mildly offended. "I was pretty popular at the reception." He said in his defense. "You danced with the children!" Amy laughed. Even he had to smile at that.

Ashley smiled, feeling better now that she was being inculded in stuff. "Well, how does it feel to be in a television show?" Rory asked. "It's...Tiring. Way too much running." He heartily agreed. They finished their dinner, and eventually retired to their rooms for the night. Ashley couldn't sleep at all for a few hours, and finally sat up and went over to the window. Her room overlooked a little amusement park, and a Ferris wheel stood up in the dark air like a giant. She noticed some people standing in the carts, all facing the hotel. She let out a scream, and flailed away from the window. River opened the door in between their rooms, and looked at her, startled.

"What is it?" She asked, worried. Ashley looked up at River, confused to find herself sitting in a huddle against the wall. "Nothing." She said. "Must have seen a mouse or a spider." River didn't buy it, and went to the window quickly, looking out. She jerked, and leaned closer to the pane. "Get a marker." She demanded, holding her hand out behind her without looking away. Ashley jumped up, and went to the little desk in her room, grabbing a marker from the drawer. She handed it to River, and she began marking on her arm. Ashley watched her hand mark five, then ten, then thirty four tallies on her arm before River turned away.

She blinked, then looked at Ashley. "What am I doing in your room?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "I'd heard you scream..." Ashley pointed at River's arm, she looked down at it. She quickly went to the door, and flung it open, going across the hall to the Doctor's room, pounding on it. He opened the door, holding a book. "What is it? There are people trying to sleep." He said. She showed him her arm, and he looked concerned. "Go get Amy and Rory and have them come in." He said. She went to their door, and knocked urgently. The Doctor looked up at Ashley, who was standing in her doorway, looking very frightened. He beckoned her into his room, and she scurried across the hall into it. River and her parents came in a moment later. The Doctor looked up and down the hall, then shut the door, locking it behind him. He turned to face them, and let out a breath. They were all standing there, looking very worried. "Well. This is some vacation that it's turning out to be." He said, running his hand through his hair.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	21. Chapter 21

"What do we do now?" Ashley demanded, anxious. He looked uncertain. "I'm not quite sure." The Doctor said. "What? You're not sure! Those Silence are all over the place, and you haven't a clue, do you." She felt unreasonably scared for her first apparent encounter with the Silence. "Ashley, you'll have to calm down." He said. "I will not calm down until you think up a plan!" She said. Amy put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to him." She said softly. "Just keep calm, and he'll think of something. He always does." She glanced up at him. "Eventually." He looked uncomfortable. "First off, I think I need to assume that they're after me." He looked at River Song, who looked just as uncomfortable. "Yeah, I know about that..." Ashley said, blowing her hair out of her face, irritated.

"Good, then you know what we're dealing with." The Doctor said. "We need to get back to the TARDIS." River sighed. "One problem. I can't leave." She said. He scowled. "I forgot about that." Obviously. Ashley felt immensely jumpy, and she turned, going to the window. She looked out, and this view looked out over the beach. In the palm trees were globes that provided light, and, as she watched, one by one they went out, the darkness coming closer and closer to the resort. "We need to get out of here, now." She whispered. "Do something!" Amy came to the window, and looked out, too. "I agree. This is seriously getting freaky." The Doctor tapped his fingers against the desk he was leaning on in a steady beat as he thought. "You'll probably get in a lot of trouble, River." He said. She rolled her eyes. "Since when have I've ever cared about something like that?" She asked him, sounding faintly amused. "Point taken." He pulled his Sonic out of his pocket, and aimed it at the tracker on her ankle. It opened, and a little green light began flashing and turned red. River shook it free of her ankle, the device falling to the floor. "Alright, you know the drill!" He said, opening the door. "Run!"

They took off down the hall, and Amy and Rory started to pause at the elevator, but the Doctor, River, and Ashley hurried down the stairs. No need to be caught in an elevator with the Silence. It was deadly quiet in the lobby, and Ashley partially thought that the phrase was probably more accurate now than most of the time. They ran outside through the darkness to the TARDIS, and safely locked themselves inside. The Doctor tried to make them take off, but the machine made a strange sound, and nothing happened. He tried again after staring at it, disbelieving, and the lights inside flickered, and dimmed. The third time he attempted to get them out, nothing at all happened. Amy and Rory stood around quietly for a moment, and River was silently helping the Doctor at the TARDIS console, and Ashley was standing alone in front of the door, her eyes slowly growing wide as something started to reach her ears. It started out quietly for a moment, then got louder and faster. One two three four. One two three four!

Something hit the TARDIS door on the fourth repetition, and it jarred her out of her panicked day dream. The TARDIS started rocking from side to side, and she fell over. Amy and Rory did, too, and River and the Doctor clung to the console, still working desperately. "Don't tell me the Angels have the TARDIS again!" Ashley shouted at the Doctor. "What?" He shouted back. She wanted to smack her head. "Long time ago when you got stuck in the past, timey wimey detector!" Was her reply, and he got it. "This has happened before?" Ashley scowled at him. "Not with me in it!"

x

The Doctor ran to the door, and threw it open. He was greeted by the sight of a Weeping Angel, it's face distorted and baring fangs as it reached around the box, shaking it with others. He froze, and slammed the door shut in it's face. "Tell me what happened before!" He shouted at Ashley, running back to the console. "Uh, you should remember this-" She began. "Just humor me!" She rolled her eyes. "You made the TARDIS dematerialize around those two people, and the Angels locked gazes and froze each other. You'd better not make this thing take off and leave us!" Ashley added anxiously. He gave her a look. "Of course not! I'm just trying to think of something." He strummed the console with his fingers, and Ashley looked at his fingers. They went one two three four, one two three four...

Finding herself moving, she smacked his hand so that it would stop tapping. He accidentally hit a lever, and looked at her, surprised, as the TARDIS came to life. It whirred, and the Doctor beamed at her. "Brilliant, Poole! Why didn't I think of that?" He said. "What did I do?" Ashley asked, feeling exhausted. "We're going back in time to before the Angels got the TARDIS. We've got power, so we can get out!" She looked at him, confused and a bit appalled. "Won't that cause a paradox?" He gave her a guilty look. "I can fix it afterward." He promised. "For now, though, it's our only option." The TARDIS whirred back in time, and then stopped. A little alarm went off, but the Doctor and River quickly worked together and a second later they were back up in the Time Vortex. The Doctor quickly ran to the other side of the console, and did something. The alarm went off, and River looked relieved. "What did you do?" Ashley asked. "I simply closed off the paradox." He said. "It's a bit more complicated than that, but it's pretty much that." She gave him an irritated look, then actually stormed out of the room and down to her own. Too bad she couldn't slam a door. Amy looked at Rory, then glanced at the Doctor. "What's got her so upset?" She asked.

X

Ashley paced around her room, wondering to herself about why she was so upset. The knowledge that the Silence were at the resort scared her more than it should have. They scared her badly enough in the television show, and to actually be facing them in real life, well, it wasn't much fun. A small part of her in the back of her mind told her that this wasn't her first real encounter with the Silence, and that's what irritated her. She stopped suddenly, then just sat down on the carpet, flinging herself back roughly so that she'd flop onto her back. Her arms and legs splayed out, she squeezed her eyes shut, breathing deeply as she tried not to freak out. This was just...Too much! She tried to calm her racing heart, and felt herself shutting down. Ashley felt like her body was going into sleep mode, like a computer.

It felt like slowly her hearing receded into her body, only registering the sounds her body made. She heard her heart beat, the pulse of her blood in her veins, the sound of her breathing, the noise she made when she swallowed, and the occasional hiccup. She felt like she was sinking into a black, fuzzy hole, and her body was suddenly jello. If she wanted to get up, she doubted that she actually could. Now she felt like she'd been crying for a long time, and now was suddenly exhausted. A coolness on her face made her mind register that she had been in fact quietly crying. Ashley wanted her father, her own bed, and really wanted to just cuddle with her pets. Ian would lick her face free of tears, and Mickey would lay on her chest, gently sniffing her face so that she would feel his breath and whiskers tickling her skin.

Just thinking about that made her calm down, and she drifted off into a state of conscious sleep. Her body would not move, her eyes would not open, she felt nothing, but she heard the sounds of her body and the TARDIS in her rest, and she dreamed that she WAS the TARDIS, and she heard through the time vortex the sound of drums. A song she had on her iPod came into her mind, and she remembered an episode of Doctor Who when the Master brought the spheres to Earth from the end of the universe.

"So here they come, the sound of Drums. Here come the Drums, here come the Drums! Baby, baby, baby...You are my Voodoo child..." The beat of it filled her head and somewhat changed into the four beats.

"Here come the Drums, here come the Drums..." She gasped, and opened her eyes to the sight of River Song, looking down at her, concerned. "Are you alright?" She asked. "I'm sorry if I woke you, but we're getting rather worried. You've been hiding out in here for almost a day." Ashley had trouble focusing on her, her eyes feeling dry and stiff, just like she'd overslept, and her mouth was uncomfortable. She sat up, her joints cracking. "Really?" She asked, her throat raw. "Felt like only half a hour." It really had. She must have been exhausted. River reached down, and helped her to a standing position. Her legs were really weak, and she stumbled. She really had slept for almost a day, sprawled out on the floor? Wow.

"Are you alright?" River asked as she was about to leave her alone again. "I'm fine, just a bit fuzzy." She said. "I'll be out and about in a bit." After the woman left, Ashley went straight to the desk where her purse was. She pulled out her phone, and listened to the recording of the Master's drums. The noise she'd been hearing was similar, it had the same beat, but, at the same time, sounded different. She chuckled. Maybe she was a Time Lord and looked into the time vortex, and the other Time Lords had stuck the drums in her mind, too, so that they could come to her dimension and live there after they failed the first time with the Master. Wouldn't that be a riot! She cracked up at it, finding it much more funny that it really was. Her eyes watered, and she rubbed at them, her laughs calming down to hiccups. She needed a bath, a change of clothes, and food, and she'd feel more like herself.

She went to the wardrobe, and pulled out what looked like her favorite pair of worn jeans and an old white shirt that had a faded rainbow on it. She noticed now that there actually wasn't anything in there that was Doctor Who related. Ashley shrugged, and went down the hall to the bathroom, drawing a hot bath. With a small smile, she poured bubble bath in, and she scrubbed herself until her skin was pink. When she finally convinced herself that she was clean enough, she drained the tub, and switched the water flow to the shower. She drenched herself with ice water, shivering from the shock of the cold, and then quickly shut it off when she was certain she was in icicle. After drying off and getting dressed, she went into the TARDIS control room.

The Ponds weren't in there, but River and the Doctor were. They didn't notice Ashley for a bit, and she just stood there awkwardly until she hinted her presence with a cough. They jumped, startled and guilty looking from whatever they were looking at on a screen. "Ashley!" The Doctor said, giving her a smile. "Feeling better?" He asked. She just shrugged in reply. He looked uncertain for a moment, and she gave him a bright grin. "Hey, I'm kinda hungry. Anything to eat?" She asked cheerily. He looked relieved that she was acting more like herself. "We can go anywhere you want." The Doctor said, casually reaching behind him and clicking something so that the screen River and him had been looking at went dark. "Anything you want specifically?" Ashley blinked. "...There's a really good pizza parlor I know..."

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)


	22. Chapter 22

They landed in an alley just a bit away from the pizza parlor Ashley and her father had gone to many times before. They all walked to it, laughing and talking. Even Ashley perked up some as the somewhat familiar noise of the sports bar came into hearing distance, the smell of pizza making her mouth water. They all sat in a corner booth with a decent view of the screen over the bar, showing a soccer game. The men got excited about it, and cheered, and River and Amy just talked. Ashley smiled, acting content, but really her eyes scanned the bar, looking for this universe's version of her father, and maybe her. Their pizza was ready, and the waiter brought it by, all hot and fresh from the oven.

They ate it, laughing more when River got a piece that trailed cheese strings from the actual pizza to her slice. It stretched to almost over her head, then snapped, and they laughed as she ate the cheese strings. Ashley had to use the bathroom, and got up. Once she came back, she slid back into the booth with a smile, announcing that she was back, when something, or rather, two someones, caught her eye.

Her father and a teenage girl with short brown hair, this universe's version of Ashley's father and her, she supposed, walked in, talking and looking very much happy. Ashley sunk low into the booth, trying to hide in Amy's shadow. They took their usual places across the room in a booth that had the seats facing each other across the table, rather than their own booth that was in the corner and curved around. Ashley watched...Ashley, maybe...From the corner of her eye, pulling her hair out of it's ponytail and fluffing her hair out so it hid her face some. The other Ashley was leaning over the table, excitedly telling her father about something. He chuckled, and made a face at whatever it was, and she swiped one of his bread sticks in reply to his reaction. He pouted, and tried to get it back, but she bit it and held it in her teeth as she turned her head away. He rolled his eyes, and picked all the pepperoni off of her slice of pizza.

Ashley felt a pang of sadness, that was what she did all the time with her father. She picked up her slice of pizza, pepperoni, just like the other Ashley's, and took a big bite, chewing furiously and swallowing it down along with her feelings. Something dropped in the bar island that was in the middle of the parlor, and both Ashley jerked, and looked at it. Their eyes made contact, and the other Ashley's smiled, then turned back to her father. She looked just like her father, and her mother, too. She had her father's hair coloring, and skin tone, he was always on the tan side, but she had her mother's facial build and her brown eyes. Ashley wondered why she looked so different than she did...

Ashley turned back around, and focused on her group. This would be her new family for now. The Doctor was telling them about how he'd been living as a flat mate once, and played football, soccer, and Ashley smiled at him, telling them about how his actor in her world absolutely sucked at it, and they used a green screen for the game. They all had a laugh over that, and after they finished eating, they paid and left for the TARDIS. Ashley's father from this universe was coming back in from his car as they left, and they accidentally bumped into each other. "Sorry, Dad." She mumbled under her breath. He looked at her, thinking her misheard her. "Pardon?" He asked. She looked up at him, and gave him a grin. "I said, 'Sorry, mate.' I didn't see you there." She laughed it off, then hurried after the others. He looked and sounded identical to her own father.

Once inside the TARDIS, the Doctor pulled her aside. "You took us there because you wanted to see your father, didn't you?" He asked her softly. She gave him a sheepish smile. "Maybe." Ashley mumbled. "You know he doesn't know who you are here. I hope you know that." She looked away. "Yeah, I know. I remember when Rose met her own father..." She muttered. He gave her an understanding pat on the shoulder, then left her alone. She glared at the floor, then took in a deep breath, acting hyper and normal as she went up to the group. "Hey! What happened to getting River's misplaced thing?" She brought up.

River gave the Doctor a look. "He doesn't want us to go back." She said. Ashley blinked. "Can't you just take the TARDIS to where it is and use the force field thing or whatever so we can just walk out and pick it up?" She asked, remembering how it worked in a Doctor Who video game walk through she'd watched, thinking maybe that it worked the same way here. He titled his head. "No force field things here." He said. Ashley rolled her eyes, trying to think of a better way to explain it. "Okay. There's this video game where you and Amy landed in an sunken ship, and the TARDIS projected air throughout the ship, pushing the water away. Do you have that?" She explained then asked. He shook his head. "That must be made up. Amy and I never landed in a sunken ship." Ashley shrugged. "Fair enough." She said.

Amy suggested that they play hide and seek in the TARDIS, she'd actually done it with the Doctor and Rory many times before. Of course the Doctor always won, but it was fun to explore in search of his newest hiding spot. River Song laughed, and said she'd join in if the Doctor actually was going to play. He grinned, and said game on. Rory quickly went, "Noes doesn't go!" and they all touched their noses before Ashley realized what he'd said. "No fair!" She protested, laughing as she turned and covered her eyes. "One." She said firmly, hearing them all laugh and their footsteps scatter in different directions and fade off.

"Two...Three...Four... …Ten, eleven..." She counted out loud, going up to one hundred. "One hundred! Ready or not, here I come!" She turned around, and placed her hands on her hips, pondering on which way to go. Ashley chose one, and walked lightly down the hall so that her footsteps wouldn't echo too much. She came to a fork in the...Hall, and went left, starting to whistle some. The quiet was kinda freaky. After a bit of whistling, she heard an echo of what she'd just whistled, and she froze. After not hearing anything for a moment, she whistled again, standing in the same place. The whistle echo came a few seconds too late to be a proper echo, and after a moment of feeling a bit frightened, she felt a bit silly, and whistled as she neared doors. The echo played with her, and finally she found the door which the noise was coming from.

She opened the door, and jumped inside. The door closed behind her, and she quickly turned on the light after a moment of panic at being in the darkness. The room looked like a storage room, and had various things, like painting wrapped up inside paper packages, wardrobes, random stuff really that the Doctor must have picked up in his travels. She whistled, but this time the echo didn't happen. She went out into the hall, keeping the door open, and whistled, and this time for sure the echo happened in the room. Grinning, she began looking behind stuff, and under in some cases, and finally decided that the whistler was wither under a table with a sheet on top of it, hiding the underneath, or in the wardrobe.

She chose the wardrobe, and walked past the table to it, planning on throwing the doors open with a loud HAH! As she passed the table, though, something rustled, and she froze listening. She started walking again, but there was a sudden bump and the table shifted. Ashley jumped back a step, then gave it an unimpressed look. She crouched down, and looked under the sheet. Finding nothing under there, she started to get spooked, and quickly stood up. Something started running out the door, laughing, and Ashley broke into a grin, running after it. "Rory Williams Pond, get back here!" She shouted, giving chase.

He got a good fifty yards away before she finally caught him, tagging him by lunging forward and tagging his shoulder. He slowed to a jog, then stopped, panting and laughing. "Got me!" He said. "Yeah, I did!" Ashley said triumphantly as she caught her breath. "Now you've got to help me look." She said. He nodded, and held up a finger as he finished catching his breath. They backtracked a bit, and then went right where she'd gone left before. This time they were looking specifically for Amy, figuring it'd be more fun with both the Ponds. Rory suggested they look in the library because she liked to hide in there a lot, so they went in there to check. She wasn't in there that time, so they continued down the hall.

They ended up inside a room that was like a garden, and noticed that there were footsteps in the dirt path. They followed them across the dirt and across a lawn, following the crushed grass. They led them to a clump of bamboo, Ashley pushed aside the stalks. The Doctor jumped out at her with a BOO!, and she fell back onto her rump with a shriek. The men laughed, and the Doctor took off running. With a growl, Ashley scrambled up and ran after him. He got to the door, and she slid tackled his feet. "Aaand, yer out!" Rory cheered. Ashley got up, laughing, and the Doctor gave her a high five. "You're the first to actually find me before the game's over in a while." He said. "Rory was the last one." The mentioned man beamed. "Who else have you found?" He asked. "Just you and Rory." Ashley said. "I've still got to find Amy and River, and you two are going to help me." She said. The Doctor gave her a sly smile. "Who says?" He teased. "The rules, you dork!" Ashley exclaimed, exasperated.

She colored, and looked embarrassed. "Oh, uhm, I meant, the rules, that's it. You're not a dork..." She said hesitantly. Rory gave her a clap on the back in approval. "No, he is. Amy calls him a dork all the time." The Doctor didn't look the least bit offended, either. "Off to find the women, then?" He offered. Ashley nodded. "Yeah, I think I heard the direction River went off in, too." The Doctor laughed. "Cheater!" He playfully accused. "Hey, listening is not cheating! That's only looking." Ashley said in her defense. He patted her shoulder, and they went out into the hall to look for the other women.

Author's Note: Please leave some feedback and tell me what you think! :)

I know I promised this update quite a while ago, but unfortunately Author has contracted the terrible, unforgiving problem of lack of motivation and procrastination. Please forgive me.


	23. Chapter 23

Ashley led them back through the console room, then went down into another hall. The Doctor and Rory check some rooms while she checked others, and eventually they caught the trail of someone. In one of the rooms was a closet filled with long jackets and suits, quite similar to what the Doctor used to where a while ago, Ashley though, and the door was open, the clothes pushed back. It looked like someone had tried to hide in there, but found it too shallow to do so. They had to still be near, so they decided to check the nearby rooms. Ashley looked inside one room that held either an oversized bathtub or a really nice hot tub, and noticed that there was a hand smudge in a fogged up glass changing stall. She crept in, and looked inside the stall. There were two doors leading into it, and she went around, finding the other door open. Ashley turned around, and looked for other hiding spaces. There was a counter that had a stack of clean white fluffy towels just waiting for someone to use them to dry off, and it looked like the perfect place to crouch behind.

She quietly went over, and placed her hands on the counter, pushing herself up and over the counter with a shout. Amy started, and let out a surprised noise, then started laughing. "You found me!" She said, giving up without running. "Thank goodness, the steam was starting to make my hair frizz. I never knew we had a hot tub." She said, climbing up from under the counter. Ashley looked it it. The tub was built into the floor, and was steaming nicely, the water looking very tempting. "...I think I might want to come here later." She said. Amy laughed. "Yeah, me, too." She said. "If only there was a way to bookmark the rooms, I get so lost." Ashley muttered.

The Doctor came in then, and laughed. "There is. Ever notice those panels next to your doors? They have a map function." He shrugged. "I had a friend who kept getting all turned around, so I had them installed." Ashley grinned. That was pretty cool. Rory looked in around the door, and smiled at Amy. "I see you got yourself found." He said. "What about you being the master at hide and seek?" He teased. Amy sniffed. "It must be an off day." She said in her defense. "If the Doctor got found first, then it has to be." Rory laughed, rolling his eyes. "So I take it River is the winner for this round?" She asked. Ashley nodded. "Yeah, she's a really good hider." She said. "Any idea where she's at?" Amy thought for a moment, then looked like she got an idea.

"She might be hiding in the library." She suggested. Ashley shook her head. "We already were in there..." She said. Amy thought again. "Any place with books or really old stuff." She said. Ashley thought of something funny, but decided not to say it. The Doctor might get weird if she said River might be hiding in his bedroom. After all, where else to find really old stuff? "I've got a miniature museum." The Doctor put in. "That's where she's hiding, then." Amy said, giving her head a nod.

They went out of the hot tub room, and made their way to the museum. They had a bit of difficulty getting the door to cooperate and open, and the Doctor made a joke about that obviously meaning River was hiding inside. It was probably some sort of alarm that would alert her in her hiding spot to be very quiet. They got inside, and spread apart, looking for her. Ashley was awed at what was in here. There were old models of Sonic Screwdrivers, bits of Dalek armor, a Cyberman head...This room must be a compilation of the Doctor's travels. She looked at a painting done by Van Gogh when she noticed something.

There was a door that was just standing in mid air, and it was slightly open. She went over to it, and looked through the crack. She could just barely see the edge of a wooden table, and candlelight flickered on the log wall behind it. She went around it, and blinked. On this side was the door FRAME, but where the door should have been was just a wall of logs. Ashley began to grin, feeling the prickle of adventure on her arms. She went back around, and pushed open the door all the way, stepping through.

X

She felt a bit dizzy after entering, and took a moment to readjust. Looking around, she felt her eyes widen. It looked like the inside of an old fashioned cabin. There weren't any windows or other doors, but there was a fireplace with a smoldering fire in it. There was a wooden bunk bed in one corner, and the previously spotted wooden table in the middle of the room. Next to the fire was an iron stove/oven that had a pot of coffee or something that smelled like it bubbling on the top of it. Around the table were three wooden stools, and underneath the table was a huge trunk. There was a bookshelf on the other side of the room, and a chair with a small side table with candle on it next to it were near it. River sat in the chair, grinning like the Cheshire cat in the candlelight, putting the book she was reading on the table. "You found me." She said. "Did I win?"

Ashley laughed. "Yeah, you won." She said. "This is a really neat place..." She said. "Hm, yes. The Doctor and I found it together on Earth, actually. A family of aliens disguised as humans were hiding from intergalactic law in the forest, and made this. Cabin in a box, pretty much." River Song said, reminiscent. They went back out, and the Doctor waved at them as they closed the door behind them. The two went over to the group, and laughed about how silly they were, a bunch of mature adults still playing hid and seek.

"Hey, I'm not an adult, and I'm sooo not mature." Ashley said. "We have an excuse, okay?" She said. Amy agreed, and said that the Doctor wasn't so mature sometimes, either, so it was fine. Ashley agreed, and the Doctor pouted at how heartily she did so. They played another round, but then the Doctor came out of hiding on his own in the third round, walking hurriedly to the TARDIS console. River appeared a second later, running after him. Puzzled, the Ponds and Ashley followed after them, and reached the console just in time as a screen appeared in the air, a very unhappy looking rhino police in the screen.

"You are harboring a fugitive. Surrender the fugitive or prepare to be disintegrated." The rhino said. "Uh, what." Ashley said, looking relatively startled. River made a face. "He's looking for me." She said. "According to this, I've been missing from the hotel for almost a month." Amy groaned. "Just great. Either I surrender my daughter or get turned into dust. That is just the decision of the year." She said. "You have one minute and counting down." The rhino said. "Fifty-nine seconds. Fifty-eight. Fifty-seven." River turned desperately to the Doctor. "Take me back to the hotel." She said. "I don't want you all to get caught up in what I've done."

The Doctor looked uncertain. "...That would be cutting it a bit close." He said. She made a River Song version of the puppy face at him, and he looked away, groaning. "Hold on to your hats." He said. "Do not attempt travel." The rhino warned. "You will be disintegrated immediately. Forty-two. Forty-one." It resumed counting down. Amy looked at the Doctor, then back at the screen. "What are we going to do?" She asked. "...What it wants." He said. Addressing the rhino on the screen, he moved a microphone near his mouth.

"This is the Doctor. We're...Going to prepare transport onto your ship for transfer of the...Fugitive." He said. Amy looked at him with wide eyes, appalled. "Doctor!" She gasped. He looked slyly at her. "Rule number one." He mouthed, suddenly throwing the TARDIS into gear. They took off back into time, and just before the screen went blank they could hear the command to fire. Something hit the TARDIS, and the whole ship shook. They landed quite abruptly, and the Doctor let out a sigh. "Whew!" He exclaimed. "That was too close." Ashley was pale, gripping the guard rail. "You're telling us."

River went to the door, and looked out. "Perfect." She said, stepping out into her room. The door just swung shut behind Rory as they ran out, and River picked up the monitor and clicked it back onto her ankle. She quickly went to the bathroom, and filled the bath, sticking her feet in. The Doctor moved the TARDIS across the hall into his room, and they all looked out the door just as rhino police materialized in front of River Song's door, knocking on it then entering. "Oh!" They could hear River exclaim. "Is this thing not waterproof?" Amy and Rory snickered, and Ashley muttered something about her being a house.

After the police left, they went across the hall, and River was sitting on her bed, looking smug. "It worked out in the end." She said. "...What about the Silence?" Ashley asked. "If we just left, they should still be here." The Doctor shook his head. "They would have left the moment we did." She didn't look convinced, but decided to leave it at that. She wandered back to the Doctor's room, wondering what had made the TARDIS shake. A large burn mark marred the blue, and she called for the Doctor. He came back in, and scowled. "Darn it! That blast went right though the shields. One moment." He went inside, and the paint replaced itself on it's own, the blue becoming solid again. Shrugging, Ashley went to the room she had rented, and collapsed face first onto it. She was tired.


	24. Chapter 24

Ashley got no sleep that night, and faced the new day in a particularly foggy mood. While everyone was continuing on at breakfast like last night had never happened, Ashley found herself checking herself for black marker tally marks, and glancing behind her all the time. She jumped and spilled her glass of orange juice during breakfast when a waiter dropped a lid onto a platter by accident, the metal clatter startling her. She settled back into her chair after mopping up the spilled juice with her napkin, embarrassed. The Doctor looked at her from over his cup of coffee, eyebrows raised, and she was actually feeling cranky enough to make a face at him, looking away and pretending that a potted plant was more interesting than them. She didn't even eat her food, which was rare with her. She just picked at her plate of waffles until they became disgustingly soggy with the syrup that had been poured on then. Ashley let out a sigh, slouching in her chair and amusing herself by trying to spear the grapes in her fruit salad with her fork. It didn't work out all the time, and once a grape popped out and hit Rory in the arm. She gave him a cheeky smile, and apologized.

They went out to sit on the beach after breakfast. Ashley once again sat a bit off, but then Amy called her over to sit with them. "Stop being such a wet blanket." She teased. "Come sit with us." Ashley glanced at her, and after a moment got up and moved closer. They were talking about how they were going to go about retrieving River Song's misplaced item. "It would help if we knew what we were looking for." Ashley muttered. They all looked at her, but then the Doctor nodded. "Yes, she does have a good point. Will you tell us what exactly it is that you lost?" River thought for a moment, probably trying to figure out how to phrase her response without upsetting the Doctor. "Well...It's rather round, and it's about the size of a small cantaloupe, and it's made of metal..." She began. He nodded.

"It's rather expensive, like I mentioned, and it might just contain something that has the potential to properly travel through Time and Space without using a vortex manipulator..." She pursed her lips. The Doctor looked a bit startled at that. "What exactly is it, River? No more skirting the issue." She strummed the table with her fingers, looking anxious. Ashley focused on her fingers, and resisted the urge to smack her hand to stop the drumming. The beat was annoying her, all one two three four. It would make her mad someday, she swore it. God, wouldn't that be lovely, her turning out like the Master. She huffed out her breath, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. "Well, it might just be a living consciousness that can see all Time and Space contained inside a sphere that's much, much bigger on the inside." River said.

The Doctor started. "What?!" He exclaimed. "You've found the soul of a TARDIS?" River shook her head quickly. "It's not like that. It's more of a cousin race. My...Friend...Just recently discovered a part of a distant galaxy that for some reason other beings haven't found yet. He found them there. Oh, Doctor, it was spectacular there. I can't even explain it. It was like being in the middle of a field of stars." He leaned over the table, looking at her gravely. "River, we're going to find that orb and we're going to let the consciousness go, do you understand me? It's bad enough that you have a Time Vortex manipulator." The woman made a face at him. "Why should you get to travel in style and I get stuck to being sick to my stomach every time I go someplace?" She asked him.

"I get to have the TARDIS because it's the last of it's kind and I've had it for a very long time." He said. "That wasn't a very good response." River retorted. Amy and Rory glanced at each other, then Rory cleared his throat. "Now, children, let's not fight." He said in good humor. Amy nudged his foot. "Don't remind me of that." She whispered to him. The Doctor leaned back, crossing his arms. "Yes, let's not fight. Our poor Poole is on edge enough already." Ashley jumped, and looked at them guiltily from her scanning of the area. "Is it that obvious?" She asked. Amy gave her a pat on the back. "It takes some getting used to." She said. "Don't you worry. It'll sort of sink in eventually." She said. Ashley looked down, and sighed. "I hope you're right." She muttered.

X

They planned to go diving. The device on River's ankle had been replaced, and now she had full roam of the whole of the resort, so she could attend as well. Diving seemed to be an innocent enough sport. Ashley and Rory didn't feel comfortable with going underwater for that long, knowing all that had happened around the Doctor, and stayed above water while the other three went diving. They sat in silence for a while, rocking slightly on top of the water while Rory dozed and Ashley stared over the edge into the water. She could see some coral and stuff, and fish that didn't look quite normal swam under the boat lazily. She was pretty certain there weren't fish that changed colors like that, neon yellow to a green apple color. Ashley got dizzy after a while, and leaned back, settling against the seat she was in. Rory was sitting in the driver's seat, his feet up on the dash and his head resting on his chest, arms crossed. Give him a hat with fishing lures stuck in it and he'd be all set.

"So, Rory." Ashley said. He yawned, and took his feet off of the dash, turning in the chair to face her. "Yeah?" He asked. She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. It's just, I don't talk to you very much. Might as well take advantage of the moment." She said. "Fair enough. What do you want to talk about?" She thought for a moment, then laughed. "I have no idea. I don't really know much about you. I mainly watched the episodes with just the Doctor and Amy in focus at home." He coughed. "Gee, thanks." He said. "Well, what was it like, being the Last Centurion?" She asked him. "That was pretty brave stuff you did, and it was quite romantic, too." He smiled, pleased with her description of it. "I suppose it was, kind of. It's not like I was just going to leave her by her own." Ashley leaned forward in her seat. "Tell me about it." She said.

He looked startled. "What do you mean?" She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. I just want to hear about all that time from your point of view. You died then came back. Isn't that something? You did it more than once, too. Not every person has that chance." Rory looked uncomfortable with that subject. "Yeah, don't remind me." He said. They laughed. "Come on, tell me. Starting from the beginning." He thought for a moment. "Well..." He began. "I don't really know. I don't think about it that much." Rory said. Ashley pouted. "Come on. From the night the Pandorica opened, okay?" She begged. Rory let out a sigh. "Okay..."

"Well, for me it really started when I shot Amy. Boy, I thought I'd die. Well, obviously I couldn't, I was plastic, but it felt like I would. I just held her, then the Doctor popped out of nowhere with that silly fez and a mop of all things, telling me to get him out of the Pandorica when he already was. Then he popped off again, came back without the mop, told me to get him out and put Amy in, then came back again and gave me the Sonic." Rory said. "So I went back down below and opened it, and then had to get the Doctor out, put Amy in, and ended up waiting, and waiting, and waiting." He leaned back in his chair, looking reminiscent. "That was such a long wait. 2,000 years, Ashley. That's a long time."

Ashley laughed. "Yeah, it is!" She said. "Tell me about the Blitz." He tilted his head. "Well, after I saved the Pandorica from the fire, I needed to get out of sight again, but ended up being drafted into the war. I got so involved with it that I lost track of Amy until I found out that it was in a museum. I ditched the Roman armor for a uniform and then a security guard suit, and stayed at the museum until it opened." Rory shrugged. "That's about it." Ashley smiled. "That's pretty romantic." She said. "The Boy Who Waited. You and Amy are so meant for each other." He grinned.

There was some activity down below, and Ashley looked over the edge. The Doctor was coming up, followed by Amy and then River. The Doctor was holding a black sphere, and he tossed it to her as he climbed up into the boat. As soon as River was on deck, she pulled out her mouthpiece and started talking rapidly to the Doctor in a low voice. Ashley only caught snippets of the conversation, something about him not being fair and something about him being a hog. He gave her a look at that, and River huffed and turned, wringing her hair out. Amy looked at the ball in Ashley's hands curiously. "What's in it?" She asked the Doctor. "It's a TARDIS. The living consciousness in the middle of the whole contraption. And your daughter-" He shot her a look. "Should not have it." River ignored him.

"We're going back to the TARDIS now to examine it, and then I'm going to free it." He said. "How come?" Ashley asked. "Wouldn't it be cool to have two Time Machines?" He looked a bit sour. "No. Time travel is very delicate, and it's hard to keep everything in order as is, imagine just one more traveler, adding just another wrinkle in the time line of everything." River scoffed. "What's the difference between a Time Vortex manipulator and a TARDIS?" She asked him saucily. "Nothing. I can't stop you from the manipulator, but I'm not going to help you with anything else." The Doctor retorted. Ashley blinked, then giggled. They were totally acting married. Rory gave her a wry smile, thinking the same thing.

"Well! Can't we just go, then?" Amy asked. "I feel rather gross now, all fishy and salty and wet." Ashley grinned. "Mermaid, much?" She teased. Amy winked at her. Rory turned around in his seat, and motored them back to the dock, tying the ship up and heading to the rental station on his own to return the keys and suits. The others headed back to the TARDIS as the Doctor and River 'discussed' the situation on their own, off to the side and under their breaths, but heatedly. Ashley found it so amusing that her previous bad mood slowly evaporated, and she started to crack bad jokes with Amy. Once back, Amy went to take a bath, and Ashley found herself having time to go and check out the hot tubs.

Stopping by her room to change into a suit, she padded down the hall and found the room again. She teased the water, then eased into the steaming pool. An involuntary sigh escaped her, it just felt so good... Stretching, she settled back, closing her eyes with a rolled up towel propping her head up. Ashley yawned, and started to doze lightly, letting the warm water relax her tensed muscles and let her mind wander. Soon she was in a semi-conscious dream state, for some reason thinking about the past few months at home before everything went wonky.

(Guess who's back?)


	25. Chapter 25

Waking up, she had no idea where she was. The room was unfamiliar, and it was somewhat hard to see through the steam. All Ashley really knew was that she was becoming uncomfortably warm. She stood up with a bit of difficulty, her whole body feeling cooked all the way through and limp as a noodle, and got out of the hot tub. Wrapping the towel that had been sitting by the edge of the tub around herself, she staggered out of the room and into the hall. Still disoriented, she somehow got back into her room without running into anything or anyone, and then collapsed onto the floor, curling up into herself. She felt really strange, completely weak and sort of empty. Rolling onto her back and pushing the towel aside, she tried to cool down some.

"Over heated." Her brain kept saying, but she couldn't make sense of it in her state. Ashley sighed, and flopped her hand onto her forehead, the back of it resting against her skin. She was definitely too hot. Struggling to get up, she swayed for a moment then went back out into the hall and down to the bathroom. Filling the bathtub up with cold water, she eased herself into it slowly, wincing as the coldness brought a crack of clarity back to her. She sank down to her chin, feeling the water suck the heat out of her and replace with a numbing coolness. Breathing deeply, she tried to stay awake.

How stupid of her to fall asleep in a hot tub like that! She could have easily slipped under and drowned, and Ashley bet that if she had stayed if she stayed in there any longer, she would have boiled alive. Speaking of falling sleep...She woke with a jolt, spluttering the moment her head slipped under. Quickly draining the tub, she dried off and went back to her room, climbing up the ladder weakly to her bed and sinking down slowly onto it. The sheets felt nice and cool against her skin...Ashley fell asleep again, this time not fearing any chance of her drowning. In real life, anyway. She kept thinking that she was still in the tub and would wake up with a jolt each time her head went under in the dream.

Sighing, Ashley sat up, feeling even more disoriented. She'd been asleep, but had no idea for how long. Feeling like she could sleep until tomorrow morning, she forced herself to get out of bed and into a pair of clean pajamas. Picking the pair that were made out of a soft, silky material, she brushed her hair back into a messy bun, and went out to figure out where everyone was. Her stomach rumbled, and she figured she'd been alone for most of the day.

Only the Doctor was in the console room, and he glanced up, startled, when Ashley came into the room. "Where have you been all day?" He asked, sounding a bit worried, actually. "We haven't heard or seen a peep from you, and you weren't in your room earlier." Ashley shrugged. "I fell asleep in the hot tub." She said. "Then I went and took a bath 'cause I got too warm. I think I've been in my room for the last hour or two..." He went over to her, and looked at her red skin.

"You look like you got boiled." He said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Ashley laughed faintly. "I think I did." She agreed. "Where is everyone?" The Doctor glanced around, like they were just hiding someplace in the room. "Well, Amy and Rory...They had a bit of a fight, and went out for a bit to get everything under control. River's someplace around, probably poking about and making mischief." He chuckled. "She probably is!" Ashley smiled. He turned away, and went back to the console. "Now, I've got to finish this..." He muttered, focusing on something.

Ashley trailed after him. "What is it?" She asked, looking around him at a broken looking device. It looked like a typical pager, but a bit bigger, and different at the same time, too. "I haven't the foggiest." He said, running his hand through his hair and letting out a huff. "I found it in a box with a note telling me not to open it until 'the Station'." The Doctor shrugged. Ashley gave him a lop sided smile. "You obviously didn't follow the direction." She teased. He winked at her. "Where's the fun in that?" He asked her. She giggled.

"It looks like a pager." She said. He nodded. "Yes, I thought so, too, but what use would I have for a pager?" He mused, putting his hand to his chin and crossing his other arm across his chest. "A costume, maybe? As a prop?" Ashley supplied, feeling a bit dizzy. "That could be possible, but it was all alone in it's box in an empty room. There's something important about it." He said. "What is it, though, and what is this 'Station'?" Ashley made a noise, leaning against the rail. "I dunno..." She mumbled. He turned. "Poole, are you alright?" He asked. She nodded too quickly for her own good, making her brain feel like it was being bruised. "Great! Great, I'm just...Fantastic." She blew out her breath. "I'm just feeling a bit weak still..." He nodded slowly. "Well, I suppose you should go get a glass of cold water and lie back down." The Doctor said.

Ashley gave him one last nod before going back. She yawned, and turned the corner, nearly running right into River Song. Letting out a startled noise, she put her hand over her heart and let out a sigh. "Boy, you scared me!" She said, laughing nervously. River smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I'm just in a bit of a rush...The Doctor is in the console room..?" She left before Ashley could reply. Shrugging, Ashley went back into her room.

X

When she woke up again, feeling much better and refreshed, Ashley felt like fussing about how she looked. Her hair was a mess from sleeping with it still damp and in a bun, so she went and took another shower, washing her hair twice, using conditioner, scrubbing her body down and even going so far as to shave. Ashley made a face as the water washed the hair down, it'd been way too long since she'd shaved. Getting out and drying off, she washed her face in cold water, then began to brush out her hair.

Hm, it'd gotten longer. Just how much time had she spent with the Doctor? The filming in London seemed like, well, five-ever ago. Deciding not to risk it in giving herself her own haircut, she poked about in the cupboard under the sink, and discovered a hair dyer, and even a curling iron. Grinning, Ashley plugged the dryer in; this place had everything. She dried it, and curled the ends to make her hair look neater. Quickly making her way back to her room, she'd forgotten her change of clothes, Ashley dropped her towel and stood before her wardrobe, contemplating on what to wear.

What sort of mood was she in? She needed some sort of outfit that said she was comfortable, yet cute. She also needed to base her outfit around something she could run in, so that eliminated any dresses or skirts, and her flats and shoes with any sort of heel were out. Shorts weren't very practical, either, she could just as easily end up someplace cold as some place hot. Slacks it was. She pulled out a neat pair of brown slacks, and hung them over her arm. Now for her shirt.

It'd be best for her to find something she could layer. Pulling out a clean bra and a simple white tank top, she pawed through her selection of tops. Her cream colored jacket would look cute, and then she pulled out a peach colored sleeveless turtle neck. Ashley dressed in what she'd pulled out, taking care not to mess up her hair. She had no idea why she even bothered, it was bound to get messed up anyway, but who said you couldn't Time travel and look nice at the same time? She got down a pair of brown closed toe shoes, and studied them. Yes, they would hold up well in case she had to run, and they looked nice with what she had on. Slipping on a pair of clean socks and the shoes, she checked herself in the mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door. She looked very nice, but she wasn't done yet.

Grabbing her purse from her desk, thank goodness she had it, her makeup was in it, she put eyeliner and mascara on, and put on a bit of lip gloss. Too bad she didn't have any eyeshadow, but she did have rouge, so she was satisfied. Deeming herself suitable, she nodded once at herself then headed out, pausing only to put in a pair of pearl stud earrings.

Everyone else was casually hanging out in the control room, the Doctor still poking away at the pager, and River looking at something on a screen. Amy and Rory were chatting in low voices on the other side of the room, and Ashley noticed they were standing a bit far apart and looked tense. Letting out her breath, she grinned. "Good morning! Afternoon, whatever time it is." She said, waving at them all. They all looked over at her, and River smiled at her. "You look nice." She said pleasantly. "Going out on a mysterious date?" The Doctor teased, pushing the pager aside. Ashley wrinkled her nose, and shook her head. "Just decided to play a bit of dress up." She said, shrugging.

"I wish I could get my hair smooth like that." River said, a bit distracted by the screen. "I love my hair, but sometimes the whole mess gets on my nerves." Ashley laughed. "If you want me to play hair dresser some time, just let me know." The woman winked at her. "I might just take you up on that offer." Ashley went over to lean against the rail, looking bored. "Say, what happened to that sphere thing?" She asked. "Also, River, why are you here? What about that ankle thing?" The woman glanced at her. "Different point in time. I've already served my sentence." She said, smiling. "He's holding off on doing anything with the 'sphere thing' for a while, too."

"Oh, okay." Ashley said. After a long moment of standing there awkwardly, with the Doctor and River going back to what they were doing, and Amy and Rory now standing in silence, she sighed. "Sooo..." She said slowly. "Anyone up for doing anything?" The Doctor and River both shook their heads, too busy to do anything else. Amy sighed, and shoved away from Rory. "Let's go out and have some girl time." She said abruptly. Ashley smiled. "Okay! That sounds cool." Amy snagged her jacket from over a rail, and crossed quickly to Ashley, grabbing her arm and pulling her rather roughly out the door. They appeared to be in modern day, well, for Ashley, at least, and were, obviously, in London.

"Everything alright?" She asked. Amy shook her head. "Not really, but I don't want to talk about it." She said. Ashley shrugged. "Alright."


	26. Chapter 26

They ended up walking mostly in silence around London. They looked into the occasional shop, admired the scenery, and just took the time to unwind. After an hour of exploring, just as Ashley's feet were beginning to get sore, they passed by a restaurant, and Amy's stomach rumbled loudly. She stopped abruptly, looking surprised, then laughed, embarrassed. "I guess I haven't eaten yet today." She admitted. Ashley raised her eyebrows.

"It's almost dinner time." She pointed out. Amy nodded.

"Yeah, that's what my stomach sure is telling me." They both had a little laugh over that. "Would you mind if we stopped inside there and got a bite to eat?" She asked. Ashley shrugged, she didn't mind. They headed inside, and were seated in a booth next to a window that looked out over the river.

Ashley watched the bridge lower lazily, letting her breath out slowly as Amy ordered a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Ashley wrinkled her nose, and laughed. "Ham and cheese with black coffee?" She questioned. "At least get an iced one with milk and sugar. Do you really think the harsh caffeine will do you any good?" Amy tilted her head to one side, then shrugged, changing her order. Ashley gave her a smile, then leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window. She still felt wiped out after what happened. Amy sipped her glass of water, watching her.

"You feeling alright?" She asked. Ashley made a noise.

"I fell asleep in the hot tub, and got overheated. I still feel a bit off." She said. Amy frowned.

"That doesn't sound too good." She said. Ashley agreed with a little laugh. "Maybe you should drink some cold water." Ashley heaved herself up into a sitting position, slouching heavily against the booth's cushioned seat. She slowly drank the water, letting the coolness ease the little headache she had. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" Amy asked. Ashley nodded.

"I'll be fine with just water. Not quite sure how I'll handle food then having to travel around in the box." She managed a grin. Amy laughed, then was distracted by the waiter bringing her drink by.

While Amy was preoccupied with stirring in the cream and sugar, Ashley got a chance to look around. This was a cute little restaurant. It had two booths on either side of the building, and the floor was a neat linoleum. There was a counter at the back, directly across from the door, that had a glass showcase with freshly baked pies and cakes, and the menu was a blackboard written on with chalk. Red checkered table clothes were on every table, even the five tables in the middle, and there were bouquets of wildflowers. Ashley and Amy's table had sunflowers, and they made her smile absently, thinking about the episode of Doctor Who where they visited the painter. She have to visit there sometime.

"What are you thinking about?" Amy asked. Ashley blinked, then shrugged.

"Just stuff. Mainly about the ultimate ginger." It took her a minute to get the reference, then Amy brightened up.

"Oh, yeah! That sure was interesting. It was pretty amazing, too."

"I can imagine! Meeting your favorite artist like that. That's just as cool as me meeting the Doctor." Ashley agreed. Amy smiled.

"Why do you like him so much?" She asked, curious. Ashley had to think about her reply for a moment.

"Well...I'm not entirely sure." She said. Amy arched an eyebrow. Ashley held up a hand to prevent a comment, still considering her answer. "It's just, my mother really liked Classic Doctor Who when she was still alive, and when the new series of Doctor Who came out in 2005, she'd been really happy." She smiled fondly. "I pretty much liked whatever she liked, so I got into it. Then...My mother passed away, and I sort of just made it everything.

"The show became my escape. I love to day dream about the mysterious man who could just show up out of thin air in a silly Police Public Call Box and take me with him to see the universe. I'm sure you can understand." The other woman nodded. Ashley leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Also, he's really good looking." Amy laughed.

When the waiter came back with her food, Ashley requested another glass of water, and went back to looking out the window. London was so amazing, other universe or not. She watched people walk by the waterside, noticing a girl with brown hair sitting with a relatively familiar looking boy. The boy resembled Derek only to the point of having short brown hair and glasses, and the girl only reminded her of this universe's version of herself only because of her darker skin tone and brown hair, but it was enough to plunge her into a whirl of thinking. What if this world's Ashley dated the Derek from here? Gosh, it made her feel ill just thinking of it. She touched her throat, realizing why she still felt unfinished in dressing.

She'd forgotten the necklace Derek had given her for her birthday. Looking at the couple down on the beach brought it into perspective on how much she missed him. She was going to put the necklace on as soon as she got back. Well, of course it wasn't the very same, but it looked identical, and it was the thought that counted. The waiter gave her the glass of water, and she sipped it, glancing at Amy. The red headed woman looked tired, probably from fighting with Rory. Ashley felt a pang in her heart, she knew why they'd been fighting. Last she'd heard back home, they were getting better, so that was something to hope for. Setting down her glass, she cleared her throat.

"Do you want to talk about Rory?" She asked softly. Amy looked up at her from her sandwich, startled. She sighed, then set it down.

"No." She said at first. Then she shook her head. "Yes. I mean, I guess..." She looked really frustrated. "Look, I don't know how much you'd know from back where you came from, but Rory and I almost got divorced. The Daleks came and whipped us away before we could do it, and, as always, the Doctor made it better. We just...Sort of realized that we were about to do something incredibly stupid." Amy said. Ashley nodded, knowing as much. Amy took a drink of water before continuing, leaning back against the booth as she looked blankly out the window.

"Well, recently Rory proposed the idea of adopting a little girl. He'd been looking online without me knowing about babies that were put up for adoption, and he's fallen for this girl." Amy smiled bitterly. "She's just precious. She's about three months old, and she's got fine, ginger hair. Her eyes are green, and she's got freckles." She let out a longing sigh. "Don't tell him, but I'd adopt her in a heartbeat. It's just... He was doing this without me knowing. I just wish he'd talked to me before going ahead, you know?! It's not just him who'd become a father, I'm going to be a mother, and, well, after what happened the last time, I'm just not sure." Amy shrugged.

"Sure, it was a while ago, but you just don't get over something like that." She finished with a whisper. Ashley leaned across the table, and patted her hand. "I know. Well, I don't know, but I can pretend to feel how you do, and gosh, it's not fun." She said sincerely. "Listen, all I can say is just, instead of fighting, you two need to just sit down and talk it out calmly, you know? This is something really big, and you need to be reasonable about it." Amy nodded, then smiled.

"Yeah...Thank you, Ashley." She said. "You're not that bad." Ashley pretended to be insulted.

"That bad? Well, gosh, thank you." She winked, and Amy laughed.

X

They went back to the TARDIS, and after glancing back at Ashley, Amy went to Rory and they went to their room to talk. Ashley felt kind of proud of herself for helping, and went to her own room to get the necklace. It was there, as she hoped, and she clasped it around her neck. She tried to read after that, but gave up, not in the mood for it. Why escape into a book when you've got a Time and Space machine? She went into the console room, and paused by the door, noticing that River and The Doctor were sharing a...Moment. Feeling disgruntled, she turned back. Might as well explore.

She went back to the little garden room, and wandered around aimlessly. The little bamboo area where the Doctor had been hidden in fact disclosed a little clear spot with a stone bench and a tiny fish pond. Ashley lay on her stomach on the bench, using a bit of bamboo to draw in the ground. She just drew a simple circle and left it alone for a moment before frowning and picking up her stick again.

Ashley began drawing in other circles inside it, and lines, and dots, and began rubbing places back it. She worked on it for a whole five minutes before she was satisfied. Propping her head up on her hand, she looked at it curiously. Well, that was interesting. It looked vaguely familiar, but she had no idea where from. She got to her feet, and wandered off. Whatever, it didn't matter that much.

X

Their moment over, Ashley walked back into the console room just as River popped off with her Time Vortex manipulator. The Doctor rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth, grimacing, then looked up at Ashley. "Poole!" He greeted brightly. "What have you and Amy been up to?" Ashley sat on top of the guard rail.

"We just went for a walk." She said. "Saw the sights, had lunch. There's so much cool stuff in London." He nodded.

"Never ceases to amaze me." He said. After an awkward silence, she started to swing her feet.

"Ever get that pager thing working?"She asked. He shrugged.

"More or less. I got it to have power, but nothing will show up on the screen. Ashley jumped down and went over to pick it up, turning it over in her hands.

Her nail brushed over a tiny button that looked suspiciously like a reset button, and she pressed it. There was a moment of nothing, then the screened turned white. Symbols swirled across the screen, and then settled into something like a menu. The Doctor looked over a her, noticing that it was on. "How did you do that?" He asked, astonished.

"Reset button?" She supplied weakly. He took it from her, looking more and more astonished by the moment.

"What's the matter?" Ashley asked. He just poked that the screen for a moment before raising his head to look at her.

"It's...Galiffreyan." He said. "The language of the Time Lords."

Author's Note: Did I say daily update? Ha! Sorry, I meant weekly.

Also, new style for writing.


	27. Chapter 27

"How is that possible?" Ashley demanded. "They're all-" She cut off before she could say it.

Dead.

The Doctor gave her a slow nod. "I know..." He said. "Now that I look more closely at this, though, I can see it's not completely correct." He furrowed his eyebrows and studied it. "It's mainly based off of Galiffreyan, but some parts are made up. It's almost like... Hm." Ashley couldn't bear the dramatic pause.

"Almost like...What?" She prompted. He looked up at her.

"It's like someone tried to learn Galiffreyan, but ended up not knowing all of it, and substituted symbols of their own to complete the alphabet. It's brilliant." He looked amazed. "How did this get into the TARDIS?" He was lost in thought, and turned away from Ashley. He plugged the device into a cord on the console, and titled a screen to face him.

The screen on the pager was enlarged so he could see it better on the console screen, and he studied the figures. "Directory..." He muttered, nodding to himself. "Contacts. Messaging. Something relative to games... Files, ah! That's what I'd like to see." He pressed the symbol for it, and the screen faded out, then faded back in to a new screen. The Doctor nodded to himself.

"Documents, picture, media...The Doctor?" They both looked startled at that. He pressed the button, and a password prompt showed up. Frowning, he pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver, and waved it over the device. Symbols flicked into place, and then the file opened. "Echo. That's a curious password." He said. The screen began filling with pictures, documents, notes, basically everything and anything. The Doctor's face grew serious as snapshots of him walking around with Martha and Donna as his tenth incarnation, a picture of Amelia Pond's childhood home, blurry images of the TARDIS in flight, encounters he had on Earth, and even Rose Tyler flashed into focus.

Ashley looked at him, curious and a bit confused. She'd never seen his expression like this before. He mutely clicked on the documents, and information reaching as far back to his first incarnation appeared. The information from his ninth and back were a bit sketchy, just bits and pieces jotted down, so most of everything the device had on him was from a certain point in his tenth incarnation and forward. There was a folder which was titled in English, "Jlog." and he clicked on it.

The screen emptied, and a folder with over a hundred clips opened. He randomly pressed on one, and put his hands in his pockets while it loaded.

"August twenty-first, two thousand and seven, I believe. Not sure. I saw him again today. He was right smack in the middle of a lot of baby fat things. Adipos? I think that's what they're called. He was with the super temp today, Donna. Gosh, I miss her. And him. Nasty stuff when that woman dropped to the ground, she...Ugh, splashed on me. I tried to get to him in time, but I got blocked by the police. Donna must have just met him again or something. What luck to be parked right by his TARDIS!

I nearly had a double heart attack myself when I walked past the alley and saw the old girl. Then again, I'm not surprised he was sticking his nose in the funny business. It must run in the genes. I found a Sonic pen in the building after they'd gone, so I snatched it up. It'll help with the pager once I set it working again. Man, my ears are still ringing. What did he mean by putting those two together?! It did NOT help with me hiding in the hall behind them. Anyway, got to dash. A hospital is going to be abducted in a few hours, and I've got to schedule myself an appointment. Maybe I can get my ears checked out, it's sort of hard to hear now. Ta ta!"

The person speaking was a young woman's voice, and Ashley could have sworn she'd heard it before. The Doctor's face was still impassive, and he clicked on the entry underneath.

"I knew he'd be here today! I don't even care about the date, I was so happy to see him. He didn't recognize me, of course, but it was so nice seeing him. It got a bit tense when we ran out of air, and even more so when those rhinos tried to scan me! I barely got away. That woman sure scared me, too. I'm NEVER using a straw again, even if it is one that gives stuff the extra fizz. Good thing she didn't pay attention to me when I nearly ran into her. She just patted my head and told me to go hide. I think she was already after him. ...Whew...Still catching my breath.

Martha's a good doctor. Too bad she didn't stick on the path. Oh, well, I'm happy with where she ended up. She's a good match for the alien. Signing off."

Ashley tapped him on the shoulder. "Doctor? Are you alright?" She asked, worried. He sighed, and didn't reply, pressing the last entry.

"Alright. I know you didn't wait, you silly man." The voice said, sounding amused. The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "I can't blame you. You found a mysterious device in a box in an otherwise empty room that you didn't even know was there. Don't worry, I'm not a threat. You should have guessed by now who I am, and that's alright. Anyway, Doctor, here's the scoop. I've got a friend here, and they're in trouble. I'm not going to tell you where or when I am, 'cause you've got to get here yourself. It's going to be a bumpy ride for you all, and I'm sorry that I won't be able to see you for a long time. Until then, stay fab."

The Doctor gripped the edge of the console, looking like he wasn't able to control himself. Ashley hesitantly reached out to him, and patted his back. He let out a sigh. "Oh, Poole." He said, sounding weak.

"Who was it?" She asked him. "I've heard her voice before." He nodded, swallowing thickly.

"So have I." He said. "That voice belongs to my daughter, Jenny. I thought she was dead."

x

Amy and Rory sat in their room silently. They'd gotten past the point of talking, and were now just studying each other. Amy broke the silence. "Well. I-I'm glad we could talk this out, Rory." He smiled at her.

"I am, too." He said. Amy scooted over closer to her husband, and he took her hand.

"I'm not even sure how we started fighting. It was such a simple thing to just talk it out." She sighed. He kissed her hair, nodding.

"I know... Listen, Amy, I- It's okay. After all, we do have child, right? River's our daughter. She's out Melody, and I'm pretty sure we have our hands full with her as is." Amy laughed.

"We'll be fine." She said. "I know it." Rory gave her hand a squeeze.

"I think it'd be a nice idea for us all to go on a picnic, you know? You, me, and the Doctor."

Amy shifted so she could look up at him. "What about River? And Ashley?" He looked thoughtful.

"River can come, and...I think we should find a way to get Ashley home. I'm sure you've noticed how she's sulking when she thinks we're not looking." He said. Amy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, yeah. I've noticed. She really misses her family." Rory agreed with her.

"We should go see if we can help the Doctor. I don't think he's been too focused on getting her home."

Amy gave him a kiss, then got up, wiping at her eyes and making sure she didn't look too frazzled. Rory fixed his jacket, and gave Amy a smile, then they went out.

X

They walked into the console room just as Ashley stepped back away from the Doctor. "Whaaat?!" She gasped, looking shocked.

"What is it?" Amy asked, instantly curious. The Doctor looked over at Amy, his expression muddled, and looked back away. Ashley hurried over to her.

"The Doctor found this pager thing in a room, and it's his daughter's." She explained breathlessly. It was Amy's turn to look startled.

"Woah, back up. What? Daughter? Start from the very beginning." She said. Ashley took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down.

"Okay. Very beginning. The Doctor was on this planet called Messaline in his last incarnation, with his two friends Donna and Martha, and there was this little war going on between human colonizers and a race of half fish, half human called the Hath. The humans took his hand and stuck it in a Prognation machine that takes your DNA and makes a brand new person, all full grown. It created Jenny, and she was a Time Lord, 'cause of him! Then there was this little confrontation, and Martha got taken by the Hath."

"Anyway, with her help, the Doctor and Donna helped end the war, got Martha back, and also fixed a planet with something magical. But near the end, this really weird and mean guy shot Jenny, and she died. What the Doctor didn't know is that after he left, she did a bit of regeneration mumbo jumbo, and came back to life, and left Messaline to follow in his footsteps."

The Doctor looked sharply at her. "What?" He finally asked, his voice thick. Ashley looked back at him apologetically before continuing.

"So, anyway, back to now. The Doctor found this pager like device all alone in a box in an otherwise empty room that he didn't even know existed. I got it on, and he looked through it. It's written in Galiffreyan! Well, not completely, but it's really close, and there's a file labeled the Doctor. There's a voice log in that folder, and it's Jenny talking about him! Isn't that cool?"

Amy looked a bit confused still, and went to the Doctor, putting a hand on his shoulder and talking to him softly. Ashley looked back at them, and instantly her mood deflated. She wasn't thinking of this like it was real life. It's not just a show anymore! He'd gone all that time thinking his daughter was dead, and she was happily freaking out about it. She'd have to apologize to him later...


	28. Chapter 28

Ashley hid in her room for the rest of the day. She felt so bad about how lightly she'd treated the Jenny situation. She buried her face in a pillow, and groaned. 'This is not the television show, Ashley.' She told herself. 'You can't go and freak out like something like that like you would at home. This is his daughter who he thought was dead, after all!' She flipped over onto her back, fluffing the pillow under her head. 'At least he knows now that Jenny isn't dead. That must be a bit nice.' She stared at the ceiling for a bit. 'I thought this would be so fab. I'm traveling with the Doctor and the Ponds, exploring through Time and Space.' Ashley scowled at herself. 'It's actually sort of...Stressful.' Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair. 'I'm going to need to get into better shape. The little running we've had is winding me way to fast.'

Ashley sat up, and poked at her stomach. Yeah. She was definitely going on a healthier diet. Maybe she'd become vegetarian. After being chased after as food put meat eating in prospective. "Moo." Ashley muttered, then laughed. She tested the muscles on her arms, and was unsatisfied with the results. Getting down off of her bed, she got into push up position on the floor, and found that she was not capable of even doing one proper push up. Scowling again, she tried again in modified position, and immediately gave up. She didn't even know how to do that. Next she tried crunches and sit ups. Well, she could do those decently. 'Not even going to attempt a pull up.' She mused.

Getting up off the floor, she went over to the closet and opened the door, looking at herself in the mirror on the inside. She turned this way and that, and began thinking what Derek would think of her if she dropped, oh, say, twenty pounds. Ashley paused, and felt her face burn. Why was she thinking about him? He wasn't her boyfriend...What if he were to be, though? Oh, shoot! There she went again. Well, it wasn't such a bad thought. He was nice, and relatively cute. From what she'd seen of him, he had a pleasant personality. It had been really sweet of him to get her that necklace for her birthday... She fingered the copy of the necklace that was around her neck, and smiled. Maybe she'd get to know him better in terms of a potential boyfriend when she got home.

'If I ever get home.' Ashley thought with a deep exhale, dropping her hand to her side and starting to get changed out of her clothes and into pajamas. She had no idea when that would be. Sure, she loved traveling with the Doctor, but she didn't belong here. She belonged back at home with her father in her own universe, in her clothes, not copies. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen the Doctor trying very hard on finding a way back home. Too bad she didn't have that fob watch from before. That had to be the reason why she was here. Why, though? How could a watch bring her into an alternate universe? Gosh, back home, they had just sent a probe to Mars. That was the biggest space thing yet, let alone traveling universes.

Ashley got back into bed, and pulled the covers up. The light dimmed on it's own, a neat little thing the TARDIS did for her. She yawned, and covered her eyes with her arm, going to sleep.

x

Her rest didn't last long. After about an hour, the whole TARDIS shook. The light went red, and flashed as an alarm blared in the background. Jolted out of her sleep, Ashley all but fell off of her bed. She ran out into the hall, confused, then hurried to the console room, and the tail of Rory and Amy.

River was the first person she saw in the console room. The Doctor revealed himself to be underneath the console, sitting in his sling and working furiously. "What happened?!" Ashley exclaimed, leaning over the edge to look at him upside-down.

"Something just hit us! Hold on, we're in for a bumpy ride!" He shouted up to her, clambering out of his sling and heading up. River Song was working the controls, and the Doctor took his place next to her. The ship shook, and everyone slid a few feet to the left. Something hit them again, and the console started smoking. Amy looked at Rory, and started to scream. Rory joined in, scaring Ashley into a yell, and even River began shouting. The lights went out, and they plunged through the Time Vortex, crashing hard someplace.

X

Ashley woke up, her ears ringing. Why was her bed so uncomfortable? Also, who was shaking her..? Opening her eyes and blinking rapidly, she focused on the face of the Doctor. He was saying her name, asking if she was alright, but it took a few moments for her ears to work with her brain. Heaving herself up into a sitting position, she blinked a few more times. A red light was flashing, and she heard a sort of alarm. The air was filled with smoke, and she coughed a few times. To her left she could see River helping her father up, and Amy was swaying on her feet. "What happened?" She croaked out. The Doctor patted her head, relieved that she was alright.

"We were attacked, and we crashed. Whatever it was, it got past my shields, so I'm figuring it wasn't friendly." He said. Ashley let him help her up, and she heaved a sigh.

"Was it mauve?" She asked him absently. The Doctor grinned at her.

"No, it was more of a gray, but it's mean nonetheless." He said.

She went to the door, and pushed it open. Cool air hit her face, and behind her she heard the Doctor say, "Extractor fans on!" The smoke whirled up, and the air cleared. She stepped out, and nearly collapsed in relief when she felt grass beneath her feet. The others stumbled out after her, and the Doctor scanned the area while River Song took off into the bushes. Ashley backed up so she was near the Doctor. "Is what attacked us still around?" She asked him. He glanced at her.

"I don't know, but I have a hunch it is. Whoever that was, they were pretty determined." He said. Ashley shivered. A minute later, River let out a shout, and started running back to them. Something was following her, shoving the bushes aside, but Ashley didn't see anything, just something like a heat haze.

"Run!" River screamed at them, disappearing a moment later through her Vortex manipulator. The other hurriedly took off.

"Why not into the TARDIS?" Ashley shouted as they ran.

"The shields are down! It's just a wood door now!" The Doctor shouted back. Something hot grabbed Ashley's hair, and with a surprised scream, she fell back. "Poole!" The Doctor exclaimed, whirling around and brandishing his Sonic Screwdriver. Amy stopped running, too, and broke a branch off of a tree with Rory's help. She held it above her head like a bat, ready to attack whatever had Ashley. Feverishly warm arms wrapped around Ashley's body, and a hand covered her mouth and nose. She struggled against them, then realized how sweet the hand smelt. She tried to hold her breath, but everything was going dark, and her eyes rolled up into her head, slumping into her captor's arms.

X

The Doctor watched in horror as Ashley passed out. Amy stepped forward, tensed to attack, and Rory picked up a few rocks. "You give her back!" Amy demanded. A man laughed, but all that was visible was Ashley limp in some hazy form.

"If you hurt her." The Doctor threatened.

"Or what?" The captor taunted. "You'll Sonic me?" He laughed again.

"Who are you?"

"Nobody of consequence." Amy scoffed, about to make a sharp remark, but the Doctor raised his hand.

"You're not after her, are you?" He asked in a quieter tone. "You want me, don't you?" The man chuckled.

"Who doesn't want you?" He replied in a lewd tone of voice. The Doctor took a step forward.

"Let her go, and I'll let you off." He said.

"As if. We've got you right where we want you." The Doctor took a hurried step back, but too late. A net of white light trapped him and the Ponds in it, and hoisted them up into a camouflaged ship. Amy screamed, the net burned her skin, and Rory held her protectively to his chest, trying to cover her skin. The Doctor tried to Sonic the net, but the device popped and fizzled, then the light went out.

"My Sonic!" The Doctor said, aghast. He twisted in the net, looking down at the cloaked person holding Ashley captive. "I'll get out of here, the Ponds and I, and once I rescue Ashley, you're going to regret this!" He shouted down. The captor laughed, and then the doors closed around them, leaving them in the darkness of a ship's hold.


	29. Chapter 29

Ashley woke in the dark. No, wait, it wasn't dark, she was just blindfolded. She moved her arms to take it off, but realized that they were tied together behind her back. Her mouth tasted foul, and she licked her lips, then wincing at the bitter taste on them. Her nose stung as well. Whatever had been used to knock her out, it sure wasn't pleasant stuff. She lay there for a moment, trying to orient herself. From what she felt, she was sitting against a wall, and it felt padded, as well as the floor. Her eyebrows furrowed. Was she in a hospital? She tilted her head, listening. There was a steady drone, and after a minute of sitting very still, she could feel that the floor was vibrating gently. So she was someplace with a really big motor. A ship? Now the question turned to which sort of ship; water or space? She shivered. She'd been caught in just her pajamas, not even having socks on, and the room she was in had a distinct draft.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She said loudly. No response. She sat for a moment, listening, then tilted so that she was laying on her side. Ouch! She landed on her shoulder badly. Grimacing, she began shifting and wiggling, working her hands down over her rear and pulling her legs through. Panting and wincing in pain once done, she reached up to remove her blindfold.

Her eyes watered against the sudden bright light. The whole room was a sterile white, and the light above reflected sharply against the fabric. She was definitely in a padded room. Looking down and looking at the rope tying her wrists together, she tried to work it loose with her teeth. Ending up no looser and with bits of rope in her mouth, Ashley spit to the side and got up carefully, feeling shaky. She walked around the small room, feeling for a door. There wasn't one visible, but she felt a thicker seam in the padding than everywhere else, and figured that it might be there. She picked at it, trying to find a lever, button, slot, anything, but in vain.

Ashley stepped back, glaring at it. There was a small hole above the door, and it looked like a camera. She felt annoyance well up in her, and she gave it a double birdie. She started at the camera, feeling like she was in a contest with someone on the other side. "Well!" She said, partially starting herself. "Are you happy now? You've got me bound and in my jammies. I do hope this tickles your girlish fancy, you freak." She spit again. "I want water! My mouth tastes like morning breath, bad meat, and lead! You could have used something that tasted like bubble gum when you knocked me out! Oh, wait, even better, you could have not done that at all!" She seethed. "Open up!" She kicked the door, nearly knocking herself off balance.

To her surprise, the door slid open, revealing a young man with a funny looking eye patch on his right eye. She gaped at him, then scowled. "You the freak who nabbed me?" She asked him, wanting to cross her arms but instead was forced to look stupid with her arms bound before her. He gave her a lewd smile.

"I am. Thank you for the compliment." He said, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her through the door. She stumbled, and he made her walk in front of him, a sort of stun gun held in the small of her back.

"Where are my friends?" Ashley asked, turning her head slightly to look at him. He nudged her with the gun.

"Face forward."

She huffed out her breath. "I want to know where they are!" He chuckled.

"You'll see them soon enough." He said. Ashley frowned to herself, but decided not to keep bothering him for the pressure of the gun increased against her skin. They stopped in front of a door, and he reached around her to punch in a code to open it. She watched his hand from the corner of her eye. He pushed her sharply through the door once it slid open, and the door closed immediately after she was in.

Amy and Rory standing in a corner of a room just like the one she came from. They turned as the door closed, and Ashley felt a wave of relief when she saw them. "Ashley!" Amy gasped, moving to her. She immediately untied Ashley's hands, then tucked the rope into her pocket. "Just in case..." She murmured. Ashley turned to face her, then gave her a hug, trying not to cry.

"I have never been so relieved to see a ginger ever." She said. Amy laughed, and patted her back. Ashley stepped back, and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "Wait..." She said, looking around. "Where's the Doctor?" She asked. "Also, Rory, what happened to your clothes?" He looked down at his clothes, grimacing at the criss-cross burn marks from the net.

"We don't know where they took him." Amy said. "He was in here with us when they first got us, but only after a bit they dragged him away." She blinked rapidly. "We heard him screaming a little bit ago." Ashley's eyes widened.

"We've got to get out." She said firmly.

"How, though?" Rory asked. "We've tried everything. This room is solid." Ashley looked around. This room was identical to the once she had been in, down to the camera, the padded walls, and the...Air vent.

"WWTDD?" She murmured to herself. Rory gave her a funny look.

"What?" He asked. Ashley let out an embarrassed laugh.

"What Would the Doctor Do..." She murmured. She glanced down, and noticed the Sonic Screwdriver on the ground by Amy's feet. She bent to pick it up, and Amy shook her head.

"I've tried that. It short circuited. Doesn't work anymore." She said. Ashley sat down on the floor, and began studying it.

"I'm going to do anything and everything I can." She said, determined. Amy studied her, then grinned, sitting down across from her.

"Right on." She said. Rory smiled as well, sitting down next to Amy, and they watched Ashley tinker with the Sonic.

Ashley didn't really know what she was doing. It was sort of like taking apart a complex mechanical pencil. Parts lay scattered in front of her on the floor, and she propped her elbows up on her knees, resting her head on her hands as she looked over the pieces. Tilting her head, something clicked in her brain, and, feeling a little tremble of giddy excitement, she began putting the Sonic back together, putting the pieces in a little differently. With a spare part, Ashley blew on it, and licked her thumb, rubbing a bit of soot off of a conductor. She got up, feeling a bit light headed, and pointed the Sonic at the camera.

'Physic.' Ashley reminded herself. She stood there for a moment, willing the camera to break, and...Nothing happened. Behind her, Amy and Rory let out the breaths they'd been holding.

"You tried, Ashley..." Amy said. Ashley lowered her arm, and hung her head, blinking back disappointed tears. She didn't want to be stuck on a ship in Moffat knows where! She wanted to get home!

Slowly, the green light at the tip of the Sonic glowed into life, and Ashley whipped her head up, pointing it back at the camera. There was a pop, a whir, and a fizzle, and the light in it went dark, smoke drifting out of it. Her mouth gaped, and Rory let out a cheer. Outside of their room she could hear a shout, and Ashley quickly turned to face the Ponds.

"Quick! Hoist me up! We'll get out through the vent." She said. Amy and Rory immediately made a step with their hands, and held her up as she got the grill off of the air vent. Outside, she could hear someone working the access pad, and she twisted, pointing the Sonic at the door. Something beeped, and the guard made an annoyed sound as the pad denied him again and again. Gripping the Sonic between her teeth, Ashley struggled to get herself up into the vent. Grunting with exertion, she got up. Oh, yeah. She was so going to work out in her spare time. She shifted to face the entrance in the tight space, and helped Amy up. There was a lot of banging outside of their room, and Ashley felt like the guard would get in soon. The girls got Rory up into the vent, and Ashley had to got backwards a bit to turn back around.

They scrambled as quietly down the vent as fast as they could. An alarm went off; the guard must have gotten in and noticed their escape, and a flashlight was shining down the vent. They reached in intersection, and Ashley motioned for them to go left. They reached another vent grill, and she looked through. This room looked like...A lab. Ashley shivered. A red light flashed, and the alarm was still going off. The room was vacant, except for.

"Oh, God." Ashley whispered in horror. Amy looked through around Ashley's shoulder, and gasped. The Doctor was strapped to a an examining table, wires and nodes attached to him, IV drips stuck into his arms and neck, and a sort of light scanning his chest. His head was strapped down on the table, and, by the expression on his face, he was awake, and in a lot of pain. "Back up." Ashley said. Amy and Rory scooted back, and Ashley kicked the grill off.

It clattered to the ground, not heard over the sound of the alarm to the captors, but the Doctor heard. His body jerked, and his eyes looked toward the sound. "Who's there?" He demanded with a hoarse voice. Ashley dropped down, followed by the other two. Ashley approached him cautiously.

"Hey." She said softly. He looked relieved.

"Poole! Are you alright? Amy, Rory..." Amy laughed mirthlessly.

"You in such a mess and asking about us. You are really special, Raggedy Man." He smiled at her, then grimaced.

Rory went to him, carefully removing the wires and the needles, pushing the scanner aside. "Let's get you out of here." He said. "What were they doing?" He helped him into his shirt.

"Studying me." The Doctor said wearily. "Taking x-rays, blood samples, statistics. I can only imagine what they want." He leaned against Rory. "We've got to get out. If only..." He scowled. "The TARDIS is back where we landed, unless they've got it, and my Sonic is useless, and back where we were before." Ashley gasped, then beamed.

"Surprise." She said, holding it out. The Doctor was indeed surprised.

"How did you get it to work?" He asked, pointing it at the scanner and making its light go out, testing the device. Ashley shook her head.

"I honestly don't know." She said. Amy was watching the door nervously.

"I think we should go now." She said. The Doctor nodded, and Ashley felt giddy with adventure.

"Let's blow this joint!"


	30. Chapter 30

The four slunk down the hall, trying to find a way out. "By the vibration of this ship, I'd say we're in orbit." The Doctor said. "Ashley, how did you get my Sonic to work? It's brilliant, almost working even better!" Ashley glanced at him, embarrassed, but didn't get a chance to really reply as a pair of guards came trooping down to hall toward the room the Doctor had been held in. She held her finger to her lips, then motioned for them to go into the room a few feet away. The Doctor used the Sonic on the lock, and they hurried in, the door closing behind them.

Ashley stared at the door like it might open any minute with the guard from before coming in, brandishing his gun. She slowly backed up, away from the door, and consequentially, the others, and bumped into something. Not expecting it, she let out a muffled scream, and whirled around. The Doctor did, too, waving the Screwdriver, then let out a sigh or relief and disbelief. "Fab!" He said, hurrying over to the TARDIS. They had entered some sort of cargo bay, and whoever was holding them captive had picked up the TARDIS. He opened the door, then froze.

Amy came up behind him, looking over his shoulder at whoever was in there. "What? No-" She gasped, searching blindly for Rory's hand, who grasped it firmly. Not knowing what was going on, Ashley peeked under Amy's arm. Two heeled feet turned to face them. Ashley's gaze slid up the pant suited legs, and settled on an unpleasantly familiar face. The woman who had stolen Melody Pond on the day she was born smiled at them bitterly.

"You didn't really think we'd let you out so easily?" She asked, sending shivers up Ashley's spine. "Come now, we both know I'm smarter than that, Doctor. After all, I've fooled you twice already." Amy growled behind the Doctor, lunging at the woman, but was held back by Rory.

"You bitch." She seethed. The woman scoffed.

"None of that language. There's a child present." Her free eye slid to focus on Ashley.

"Oh, my head is so stupid!" Ashley mentally scolded herself. The funny looking eye patch on that guard was the little device that was used to remember the Silence! "Hey, I'm not a child." She retorted pitifully. The woman pursed her lips.

"Of course not. You're only a few years from adulthood, aren't you." She laughed coldly. "Well, Ashley. How do you like it here?" Ashley blinked, taken aback. Did this woman know that this wasn't her universe? "I'm sure you're going to be quite comfortable." The woman continued. "Seeing how you don't have much of a choice." Ashley's core chilled, and time seemed to slow as she turned around just in time to look in the face of the guard from before as he shoved a taser into her stomach.

She crumpled to the ground, time still in slow motion as she saw that the others received the same treatment. The guard caught her before her head hit the ground, and slung her over his shoulder. She watched numbly as the Doctor was dragged down the opposite side of the hall as she was carried to a new destination. Something bubbled up inside her throat, and she screamed as she was shoved roughly into an isolation tank. The hatch clanged shut, and she was left in complete darkness.

x

For a while she hummed to herself, but after a bit that began to feel weird. She gave up after what had to be an hour and a half, having gone through all the songs she knew in her head, from Adele to Rihanna to nursery times. Even thinking to herself had hardly an effect.

"One...Two...Three...Four...

I declare a time war...

Five...Six...Seven...Eight...

Daleks scream EXTERMINATE."

Ashley thought to herself, having seen it somewhere online.

"James Moriarty sat on a wall.

Sherlock Holmes had a great fall.

All of Mycroft's horses,

and all of Lestraude's men,

couldn't put John Watson back together again."

She let out a slow breath, letting herself go. She tried to sleep, but the complete lack of sensory wouldn't let her. Ashley had always needed some sort of light and noise to help her sleep, like the light from her alarm clock and the sound of her dog breathing... Or the sound of her father's heartbeat.

She began to cry silently. She wanted her dad. She wanted this whole 'adventure' to just be over so she could go home and throw everything Doctor Who related away and maybe get into only Sherlock.

No, she couldn't do that. Despite the nightmare it actually turned out the be, Doctor Who, the show at least, had kept her afloat for such a long time...

Maybe she had fallen asleep, but the next thing she knew she was violently being wrenched out of the tank. Her very skin screamed at the roughness of everything, and her head felt like it was being split open from the sudden sound. For some reason, though, she didn't stir.

"Who was watching her?!" Someone, a lady, screamed at another.

"He was, Ma'am! It's not my fault!" Ashley was laid out onto something that was stiff and rough, maybe a rolling bed with rough sheets. Someone backhanded another, maybe the lady to the responder, and there was a sudden shocked moment of silence. Ashley's insides cringed, but outwardly she still. Didn't. Move.

"If she's dead, I don't care whose fault it is! Get the paddles!" A cart was rolled close, and she heard something warming up. Cold metal was pressed to her chest, and then electricity flooded through her. Ashley's back arched off of the table, and she screamed. If she thought the taser was bad, this was horrible! Suddenly, though, her body was working.

She lay there, sobbing, and the lady with the eye piece covered her gently with a warm, soft blanket that made Ashley, in a small, sane part of her, instantly suspicious. "Now, now." She said, giving her hair a stroke. "They won't hurt you anymore." Ashley turned watering eyes to her. "Want to go see your friends?" She tried to croak out a response, and cool water in a cup was put to her mouth.

Past the point of caring, Ashley eagerly drank it. The lady helped her up off of the bed, and took her into another room to get changed out of her soaked clothes and into a clean nightgown that brushed her ankles. The woman was using scary kindness, gently brushing Ashley's hair back and into a braid. She began shaking, and the woman pursed her lips. "Now, now. Let's go see the others." With a hand placed on her back, Ashley was led down the hall and into another room. Amy and Rory were sitting huddled in a corner miserably, but generally unharmed. Ashley let out a sob at the relief of seeing them the second time around, and she collapsed into Rory's arms. Amy stroked her hair with much more comforting gentleness. The door closed behind them, and they were left alone.

X

"How long have we been apart?" Ashley asked once she was calmer.

"Three days..." Amy said softly.

"Three-?!" She couldn't believe it. Staring at her in disbelief, her attention was attracted to the three trays by the door. "Is that food..." She murmured, reaching for them. Rory scoffed.

"How can you think about food right now?" He asked her, a bit irritated. Ashley shot him a look while she forced herself to eat a bowl of now cool peaches and cream oatmeal slowly, instead of shoveling it down.

"You've been eating, I haven't." She grumbled, chasing the oatmeal down with a glass of warmish milk. Why was it that liquids got warm and food cool when left out? Her mind wondered. He thought about it, then sighed.

"Fair play." He said. Ashley began on a piece of toast that had become soggy with what used to be melted butter. She didn't mind. Once she was full, she stretched out on the ground. At least it was padded.

"How long was that there?" She asked sleepily.

"For about a hour before they brought you in." Amy reassured her. Ashley sighed, and stared at where the door should be. She needed rest, good old-fashioned sleep. This might be the closest she would get for a while. Now she was fed, in a reasonably warm room that was, interestingly enough, padded, and was exhausted even though she was almost comatose for three days.

"Wake me if anything happens." Ashley sighed, falling asleep. Amy patted her hair as the girl fell asleep.

x

"You should have told her they've been drugging the food." Rory told Amy. The ginger shrugged.

"She looked like she could use it." She explained. "She was a mess. I wonder what they did to her." Rory sighed, and put his arm around his wife, drawing her close. Their eyes were drawn to where the door would be as they started to hear the Doctor screaming again. Amy let out a sob, and hid her face in Rory's chest, and he cradled her. There would be no end in sight as far as he could see.

(Review please? They're my writing fuel. I may be tempted to upload more if I have more reviews!)


	31. Chapter 31

Her rest was solid. To her, it could have been a minute, or even an hour. It was just solid, dark sleep, not disturbed by anything. After a long, or maybe short while, something did begin to bother her, though. Ashley must have been dreaming. It was that strange sort of dream where you felt like you were seeing from your eyes, but at the same time sort of seeing everything else that was going on, like you were seeing from above. She was as she was when she fell asleep, in the loaned nightgown, her hair braided, and she was standing in the dark.

Well, mostly the dark. Somewhere in front of her a door stood, and bright, white light poured from it, barely reaching out to her from the distance she was at. Voices whispered out of the light, familiar yet not at the same time. Inside of her Ashley knew those voices meant safety, and she began running to them. At first it was like she could run forever and not get any closer, but slowly, slowly the door came nearer and nearer.

She stopped right in front of it, peering through the intense light. It seared her eyes, and she could barely make out indistinguishable figures moving around. Ashley stepped through.

She felt a dropping sensation, like what you'd feel while going down a steep body slide. A second later she found herself laying on her back, unable to move. The voices from before became clearer, though still somewhat muffled. Faces swam into view, but she couldn't see them clearly. It felt like her eyes were incredibly weak. What could have been a woman bent over her, and Ashley was struck by how small she felt compared to her. Hands picked her up, and held her to the woman's chest. The woman was speaking softly, soothingly, in a language Ashley didn't understand but felt comforted by. A man's voice joined in, sounding immensely proud.

Ashley turned her face to see him, and smiled. He was nice, too. An exclamation was made at her smile, and someone laughed. Ashley leaned against the woman, and closed her eyes, listening to her heartbeat. It was a nice, steady beat, and she started to doze.

One, two. Three, four. One, two. Three, four.

X

Someone was shaking her, and Ashley found it incredibly hard to wake up. It felt like she was pushing upward on layers and layers of thick blankets that wanted to keep her under, but finally she opened her eyes. The Doctor was leaning over her, pale and for some reason dirty. He smiled at her, relieved, then carefully picked her up. "Time to go, Poole." He said. He began running, and Ashley could see red and yellow following behind him. The air shook as something exploded, and Ashley looked back up at the Doctor. His face was grim.

They entered the storage room where the TARDIS was, and the Doctor burst into the blue box. Ashley was passed to Rory, and Amy shut the door. People pounded on the door outside, but the Doctor was already leaving. A second later, and they were safely in the Time Vortex. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, and Ashley blinked over and over, trying to wake. She heard Amy explain that she'd let her eat the drugged food so she could get some rest, and the Doctor agreed with her. Ashley turned her head, watching the Doctor approach her. He waved his Sonic over her, and she furrowed her eyebrows at him as he read the results. "It's her." He announced. Amy looked relieved.

Rory gently set her on her feet, and she leaned against the guard rail heavily. "Oh, boy." She breathed out. "I feel like an elephant is sittin' on me." The Doctor patted her hair.

"That's alright. Just the after-effect of the sleeping drug you got." She smiled at him.

"You lost your bow tie." She observed randomly. He nodded.

"I needed a new one, anyway." They grinned stupidly at each other before Ashley felt overcome with nausea, and swayed. Rory reached out for her, and Amy frowned.

"I'll get you back for that, Amy." Ashley promised as soon as she was sure she wouldn't throw once she opened her mouth. Amy gave her a grin and a little shrug. Rory gave his wife a glance, saying 'I-told-you-so.' and went to go collapse onto his bed. Amy followed after him, pausing by Ashley to ruffle her hair.

"I'm glad you're safe, Ashley." She said. Ashley felt a bit embarrassed, but also happy.

"Thanks, Amy. I'm glad you're okay, too. Having to face that lady again..." Amy grimaced, but patted her shoulder and left. Ashley leaned heavily against the guard rail, heaving a sigh.

"Are you alright, Poole?" The Doctor asked, watching her from his spot by the console. Ashley gave him a lop-sided smile.

"As fine as I'll be considering what we just escaped from. How'd you get out?" He gave her his own crooked smile, but didn't reply. "So...Why'd you scan me?" She asked. He blew his hair out of his eyes.

"Do you remember how that woman tricked me twice with Amy and then Melody?" He asked her. She thought for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Yeah...She replaced then with that fake skin stuff, right?" He nodded.

"Amy was afraid that they'd done the same thing with you when they took you off by yourself those couple of times." Ashley frowned.

"Yeah...I woke up bound and gagged once alone, then the second time they put my in this tank." She shivered. "That was the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life." She said. The Doctor nodded sympathetically. "The woman got me out because she thought I was dead, then was all sweet and got me dried and in different clothes. She even brushed my hair." Ashley had to pause for a huge yawn took over her.

"After that, she took me to Amy and Rory...Then I ate the food, fell asleep, and then you woke me up the next thing I knew." She felt a bit green. The Doctor ached an eyebrow at her.

"Speaking of that...You were crying while you were asleep. What were you dreaming about?" Ashley was surprised, and touched her eyes. Sure enough, they were warm and raw like she'd cried.

"You know...I don't remember."

x

Amy and Rory agreed it was time that they went home for a bit recuperate and get everything back into order. Amy offered for Ashley to come spend some time with them, but she was torn. Ashley loved the Ponds dearly, but she still felt safer with the Doctor, even knowing how much trouble he got into. The Doctor smiled and patted her head. "Go take a break, Ashley. I'm sure you'd enjoy it." He said. Eventually she agreed.

Ashley packed up a suitcase with some of the clothes from her closet in the TARDIS, then stepped outside onto the Ponds' front step. Ashley felt a bit overwhelmed. Suddenly feeling drowned in the realization that she was really, truly in another universe, she pretended to admire the blue front door. The TARDIS sounded off, and then dematerialized. Rory heaved a sigh, breathing in the air of London. "He said we've been gone for about a month and a half." Amy grimaced.

"Time to clean out the kitchen." They laughed, even Ashley. They went inside, and Amy showed Ashley to the guest room. She sat on the neatly made bed, looking around. It looked...Like a stereotypical guest room. A quilt folded across the bottom of the bed, a closet with spare coats in it, a dresser with the top two drawers empty with little packets of fancy soap to make them smell nice... Lace curtain. Ashley actually smiled.

She went downstairs to go help Amy. She found her in the kitchen, chucking spoiled milk and rotten meat into the trash. The plant on the windowsill was barely alive, and Ashley took it down and ran some water into it. Rory was seen passing the doorway with a pile of long forgotten laundry, grimacing as he went to go put them on sanitize in the wash. "Is this what you usually have to do?" She asked Amy, who was rubbing moldy cottage cheese off of a shelf in the fridge. She looked back at Ashley, and smiled.

"Pretty much. Day one is getting the flat back in order. Day two is going through the post-" She glanced at the pile of letters on the kitchen counter with distaste. "Day three is reading through the missed papers in case something happened, then day four is getting back in touch."

"What's day five?" Ashley asked.

"Sleep in day. We literally don't get up until after two, lounge around in our pajamas, and hardly move more than five feet at a time." Ashley giggled.

The first week Ashley stayed there went pretty much that way. Ashley helped dust and vacuum while Rory did the laundry, and Amy went to the store to stock back up on supplies. Ashley didn't do much the next day; Amy and Rory were busy paying bills, tossing junk mail, clipping coupons, and returning letters. Then the next day Ashley helped go through the news, picking out interesting articles. By the end of that day her head pounded. So much unwanted knowledge! After that Ashley hide in the guest room as friends and family trickled through the house, not really wanting to meet more people. Well, expect for Brian. Near the end of the day she heard Rory greeting his father, and she came downstairs nonchalantly. Brian noticed her instantly, and gave her a smile. "Well, then, who are you?" He asked.

Ashley blanked for a moment, and even Rory and Amy looked panicked. They hadn't thought of a cover story yet. "Uh, I'm the daughter of a friend of Amy's. My mum went overseas for a month and Amy volunteered to watch me." She said, giving her best British accent. He bought it.

"That was very kind of you, Amy!" He said, smiling at her affectionately. Rory gave his father a scowl; favoritism again. The rest of the night went smoothly. Brian stayed for dinner, Ashley helped cook, and after that they sat out on the back patio, enjoying wine. Ashley had been allowed her own glass, and she took a sip from it when nobody was paying much attention. She paused, furrowed her eyebrows, then spat it back into the glass, trying desperately not to gag. Despite her caution, the others noticed, and laughed at her. Her ears burned red, but then laughed along.

They really did sleep in until two in the afternoon the next day. Ashley didn't realize how exhausted she was now that nothing demanded her attention, and simply rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head when she woke at her customary time of seven. Finally the need of her bladder drew her up, and, by the time of the clock on the bedside table, it was 2:45. Ashley took a shower in the spare bathroom, and went downstairs in a fresh pair of comfortable clothes. Amy was bathing in the other bathroom, and Rory was waiting for the waffle iron to finish cooking. "Smells nice." Rory looked up from the paper, and smiled.

"Thanks. It's one of the few things I can cook on my own." She giggled. Amy came out of the bathroom, in clean pajamas and the towel wrapped around her hair. Ashley took one look at her, and busted out laughing. It was just incredibly normal that it was funny!

They spent the day in front of the television, Amy curled up next to Rory on the couch and Ashley sprawled out in a lounge chair. It was very relaxing...It was almost like she was just spending time at a friend's house. A whole week passed calmly. After a bit Rory went back to work, and Amy spent time out of the house with her friends, leaving Ashley alone to do what she wanted. She spent some time playing on the Wii, but after a while the outside was calling for her. She got her shoes on and shrugged into a light sweater, and headed out. One foot outside the door, and Ashley was struck by something. This street... Woah, that was just too weird.

Ashley went for a walk, wondering why the Doctor got a house for the Ponds on the street where Rose Tyler's father had been hit by a car. She stood on a corner, then went across the street, spying a park she'd like to spend time with. Turning a corner, she ran into someone. "Oof! Ashley?"

A/N: Comments are my fuel, feed me moar!


	32. Chapter 32

Ashley took a step back, confused. "Doctor?" She said, incredulous. The Doctor took a step back away from her, looking shocked.

"W-what are you doing here?" He asked her, furrowing his eyebrows. She titled her head to the side slightly.

"I'm...Staying with Amy and Rory. Remember? It's only been about a week since we last saw you." He started to reach out to her, then dropped his hand. He looked like he couldn't believe it was her. "Hey, are you alright?" She asked him. He swallowed, then forced a smile.

"Of course! I just wasn't expecting to see you here, let alone run into you." Ashley didn't look impressed.

"We're only a block away from the Ponds' house. Why wouldn't I be here?" He laughed nervously.

"Oh, I don't know. Most of the time I'll be in the area and they don't even know. I just assumed." Ashley smiled.

"Oh, okay." She said, seeming to have bought it. He stared at her for a minute, then did something that surprised her. He reached out, and enveloped her into a tight hug, kissing her forehead.

"It's good to see you, Poole." He murmured. Ashley awkwardly gave him a hug back, then stepped back.

"What's the matter?" She asked, laughing a bit nervously. "You act like you haven't seen me for a long time." It looked that way, too. He just smiled.

"Oh, no. It's just nice to see you..." She had a feeling that that was a lie. Putting on a smile, she straightened his bow tie for him.

"Well, I never took you for a sap." She said lightly. "Want to come back with me? Amy or Rory might be back by now." He looked wary, then smiled.

"Sure... Let me go take care of something first though, okay?" It was her turn to look wary.

"Okay... I'll come with you."

"No!"

That took her aback. He raised his eyebrows, then gave her a pat on the shoulder. "It's nothing, I mean. No need. Just wait for me here, okay? I'll be back in five minutes." Reluctantly she nodded her head, and he gave her a grin before turning around and going down the street. He turned the corner, and Ashley began counting in her head. When his five minutes were up and then some, she began jogging down the street after him.

Just as she was turning the corner, she heard the TARDIS leaving. She stopped jogging, and just stood there for a minute, feeling a bit weird. Why'd he lie? Why did he act like that? She rubbed the back of her head, then headed back to the Ponds'. That was just...Wonky.

X

Ashley was making herself a cup of tea when Amy came home that night. Letting out a sigh, Amy gave her guest a smile. "How was your day?" She asked. Ashley pursed her lips, leaning against the counter as she stirred sugar into her cup.

"I saw the Doctor today." She said. Amy raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? He didn't stop by?" Ashley shook her head.

"It was kind of weird. He acted like he hadn't seen me in forever. He was almost shocked to see me." She said. "I wanted him to come wait for you and Rory, but he said he had to go do something, then left in the TARDIS."

"Huh. That's weird. Maybe it was a future version of himself." Amy said. Ashley nodded.

"That'd be my guess." She said.

They were fixing dinner together when Rory came in, bearing a large brown paper-wrapped package. Amy looked at it, interested.

"Oh? What's that?" She asked.

"Not a clue. It's addressed to Ashley, I found it on the stoop." He held it out for her. She was a bit hesitant to take it; after all, nobody else in this universe besides the Ponds and the Doctor knew she was here. Taking it, she set it on the table, and looked at it before untying the string around it.

Inside was an outfit, of all things. It looked like it was for colder weather. There was an undergarment that went all the way down to her ankles. It was very soft, and it buttoned at the neck, with long sleeves and lace trimming on the sleeves and hem. The next layer was a skirt and shirt set. The skirt went down to her ankles, too, and was a thick brown wool. It was plain, but would look nice on her figure. The shirt was white cotton, and it would do to be tucked into the skirt at the waist. This was long sleeved, too, and had cuffs on the wrists so that the lace from the undergarment would peek out from it. There was a jacket that was also made of brown wool, and it had large pockets. A set of woolen stocking, brown leather half gloves, a pair of sensible brown heels, and a pale blue handkerchief complete the package.

Ashley wrinkled her nose. "This sure is an interesting outfit." She said. Amy laughed, agreeing.

"Go try it on!" She said. Grimacing, Ashley went up to her room to change into it. Once dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror.

"...I look like a walking Tootsie Roll." She muttered, going back down. She stood in the doorway, and slowly turned. Rory stared at her, then laughed.

"You look like a-"

"A Tootsie Roll, I know." Ashley finished for him, looking miffed. Amy and Rory laughed at her.

"Who would send this to me? It's-It's-Ugly!" She whined, jamming her hands into her pockets. Something crinkled, and Ashley pulled out a folded piece of paper. Giving it a curious glance, she unfolded it.

"Brace yourself."

The note read. "'Brace yourself'?" Ashley repeated out loud. "That's weird." Amy tilted her head.

"Very mysterious." She said. Ashley cracked a smile. "Okay, I need to get out of this get up. I'll be right back."

She headed out of the kitchen, and started up the stairs when she noticed a figure outside in the darkening yard. She cautiously went to the sliding glass door, and opened it. "Oi! What're you doing back there? Get out before we call the police!" The figure didn't move, but Ashley could definitely tell it was a female. "I'm warning you." She said, stepping out.

"Ashley? What's wrong?" Rory called to her.

"Someone's in your yard." Ashley said, turning around. At that exact moment, she felt an icy coldness wash over her, and it felt like her entire body was electrocuted for a split second. The next moment, she was standing in a busy street.

X

"Ashley?" Rory repeated, coming out of the kitchen and going to the sliding door. The girl wasn't anywhere in sight. He looked outside, and slowly froze. "Amy." He called to her in a low voice.

"Yeah?" She said, coming up behind him.

"Don't blink."

(Pardon for the short chapter. Please review!)


	33. Chapter 33

"W-what the..." Ashley muttered, swaying. She...She'd just been in the back yard, talking to Rory! Someone had been in the garden, she'd looked back, and-

"Oh, no." She groaned. "Oh, no. No, no, no." She gasped, starting to hyperventilate. It was an Angel. That's who she'd seen. Then she stupidly turned around, and was..Whenever. Oh, God. How was she supposed to get back to her Dad now? Shaking, she covered her face with her hands, and started crying right in the middle of the street. People gave her strange looks and a wide berth, but nobody bothered her. Eventually she was approached by a constable, and he cleared his throat.

"Are you okay, Miss?" He asked her. She looked up, startled.

"No! No, I am not okay." She gasped. "I was just ripped from my friends and now I'll never see my Dad again." Ashley started to sob. He came around and put his hand on her back comfortingly.

"Now, now. Let me take you down to the station, and I'll see what we can do, okay?" He gave her a light push, and she began walking next to him, hands by her sides and sniffling.

X

At the station he had her sit down in a chair with a mug of tea to calm her, and he went to go talk to another officer in another room. "Kidnapping- Quite distraught-" Was all she could hear over the pounding in her head. Looking straight ahead at the wall, the tea cooling in her hands, she bit her lip so hard it bled.

Okay, time to look at the facts.

One: she'd just been touched by an Angel; Oh, God, she wished it were as nice as that movie she'd once seen.

Two: She was now stuck in an alternate universe, stuck back in time, and now even the Doctor couldn't save her.

Three: She was dressed appropriately. She didn't look out of place at all. Maybe a bit disheveled, but appropriate.

Four: She'd gotten the correct attire only minutes before, so, reasonably, they had to be from someone from her future.

Five: Hope. That's all she had now.

Letting out a shaky breath, the mug slipped from her hands, crashing on the ground. The conversation in the other room stopped, and the constable stuck out his head. "Miss?" He asked. "Are you alright?" Ashley looked down at the mug in surprise.

"O-oh. Sorry. I...Didn't mean to." She said softly. A compassionate look crossed his face. This girl was younger than his own oldest. Poor girl.

"It's quite alright." He said, coming to pick up the pieces.

Ashley watched him pick it up, then put her hands in her pockets to read the note again.

"Brace yourself."

It still said. For what? It had to mean the Angel. She looked all over the front and back of the paper, and noticed there was a small note scribbled hastily on the back of the paper.

"Don't let them know your real name.

Ash Yanavich"

She blinked at it. What the Hell? She jammed it back into her pocket, realizing that the constable was talking to her. "I-I'm sorry." She said. "What was that?"

"I asked your name. I can see if I can help you find your friends and your pa."

"O-oh...I'm Ashl- Ash. Ash Yanavich."

x

'Ash Yanavich' was a young woman visiting her friends from overseas. A woman had abducted her from their garden, and without warning, left her stranded here. It was true enough, in a way. She was sheltered in the constable's home. His wife was a very motherly sort, and insisted on it. It was rather awkward, but it worked out. The girl that lived there was going on twenty, and pretty soon her and Ashley became rather close; it was unavoidable, they shared a bed.

As there was no way to get back, the case of Ash's abduction was closed. It seemed that she was going to stay there for the rest of her life, or at least until she got married. Nearly a month passed. She help keep house, run errands, basically becoming a part of the life of the constable's family. Eventually people began to notice she was around, and the baker's son became familiar with her.

He was a nice boy, but each time Ashley found herself starting to become flirtatious, she noticed that she still wore the copy of the necklace that Derek gave her. She felt wrong, liking him so much and flirting with another. Still, though, the baker's son was a good looking chap... Ashley giggled nervously in her musings. She was helping fix supper with Clarice, the constable's daughter. She was even speaking like one would in this time. No, no thinking like that! She was going to get back.

Somehow.

X

A month passed, then another. Ash was out walking near dusk, smiling softly to herself. She had a small cake in her hand, from the baker's son, Johnathan. She supposed they were 'courting'. He was really quite sweet...Even though his hands were rough from baking, they were warm, and covered hers neatly. He'd given her a shy kiss as she left the bakery, and she felt jittery. She'd taken the diamond necklace off a few weeks ago.

Ash shivered. It was getting cold out, and she'd left her coat at home. She realized that she'd gotten all turned around, and she stood on the corner, trying to get her bearings. She'd never been down here before...Now that she looked, she didn't feel very comfortable. A few men noticed her, and they rose slowly from their seats on the ground. Ash quickly turned around, and began retracing her steps quickly. Footsteps followed hers, and without looking back, she picked up her skirts and fled, full speed, down the street.

The men began laughing as they chased her through the streets. Eventually she burst out into the market square where she went almost daily, but at the moment everything was different. The vendors were gone, the carts closed, and the lamps lit, casting shadows in the darkening evening. She went down the wrong alley, and hit a dead end.

Pounding her fists on the brick wall at the end like it would make a difference, she spun and pressed herself against the wall. The men, four of them, blocked her path. They leered, and a shiver traveled up her spin. They approached, and...

Nothing happened. A loud sizzle crackled behind them, and a bright flash of light blinded Ash momentarily. A man was standing in between her and the men. The latter backed up, startled, then turned away, walking hastily off. When her eyes weren't watering, Ashley was able to see who it was. Her mouth gaped. "No way." She muttered.

Captain Jack Harkness ran a hand through his hair, looking disheveled. "What's the matter with you stupid thing?" He asked of the Time Vortex Manipulator on his wrist. "You're being stupid. You-" He cut off, looking up and noticing a timid Ashley. He grinned. "Oh, hello. Didn't mean to startle you. I can explain-"

Ash quickly shook her head. "No, it's fine." She said breathlessly. "I know about manipulators. I just wasn't expecting you, of all people." Jack tilted his head.

"Have we met?" He asked her. She shook her head again.

"No, I just know of you. You're exactly the person I was looking for, though."

A/N: My review box is hungry.


	34. Chapter 34

"So, let me get this straight." Jack said, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in. "You're from another universe where this universe is a television show, somehow got into this universe, which should be pretty much impossible to do, got to be traveling with the Doctor, got stranded here, and have been here ever since, and he hasn't come back for you?" Ashley nodded, smiling meekly.

"Pretty much." She said. He studied her for a moment, then grinned.

"So what you're really saying is that you need to hitch a ride with me to get back to them." Ashley's face warmed, but she smiled back at him.

"Well, if you put it that way." She said.

After Jack had inadvertently saved her from who knew what at the hands of those men, Ashley had walked with him back to the constable's home. She tried her best to explain the predicament she was in, but she left out the encounter with the Angel. If he knew that she got zapped back... She was afraid he'd leave her here. The constable's wife came into the sitting room, and poured them some more tea, smiling amicably. As she left, however, she cast Jack a worried glance. He seemed much too old to be visiting a girl like Ashley, especially after dark. Once she left the room, Ashley looked at Jack, then laughed.

"Well?" She prompted him. He pretended to think on it, and she gave an exasperated sigh. Jack grinned at her.

"Of course I'll help you." He said. "Anything to help a friend of the Doctor's. Especially a pretty girl who is his friend." He winked. Ashley giggled.

"I can just hear the Doctor telling you to knock it off." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Sadly, I can, too, the old prude." Ashley laughed, and rose.

"Can we go tonight?" She asked him anxiously.

"I don't see why not. Have anything you need to grab?" She nodded, and held up a 'one-moment' finger, dashing into the room she shared with Clarice to grab the clothes she came in, and the necklace copy. Now that she was going back, she wanted to wear it again...Ashley paused. She sure was going to miss Johnathan. Sighing, she quickly changed into the outfit, and clasped the necklace on.

Going back out to the sitting room, she smiled. "Ready." She said. Jack smiled back, and offered her his arm. Taking it with a giggle, they went outside, onto the street.

"Hold on tight." He warned. She pressed her hand onto the Time Vortex manipulator around his wrist, and he pressed a button. The world ripped away from her feet, and she was sure she left her stomach back on the street. A second later, they landed on another street, but this one appeared more modern. "Jolly old London." Jack said cheerily, used to traveling that way.

Ashley, on the other hand, had a splitting headache. Staggering away, she pressed her hands to her head. "It actually worked." She said in shock, the amazement overpowering the headache. Jack looked over at her.

"Why wouldn't it have worked?" He asked her, puzzled. She glanced back.

"No reason."

x

They first headed to the nearest newspaper. Ashley got a few weird looks, but she just smiled back at them and continued on like nothing was wrong. Picking up a newspaper from an outside stand, she looked at the date. Muffling a scream, she pretended to cough. According to the paper, she'd been gone five years.

Five. She would be almost twenty three by now. To think she'd only been gone half a year...Ashley sent a sharp look Jack's way. "I said to land us, like, a week after, not five years!" She snapped at him. He shrugged

"That's how it goes sometimes. This thing isn't the most reliable." He said nonchalantly. She resisted the urge to smack him with the paper, and proceeded to go through it. New Prime Minister was running, this time a woman, thank goodness. Ashley remembered what happened with the last one. Cancer treatment break-through, a lost cat...Everything seemed quite normal. The Doctor must have been away. She sighed.

"Jack, do you have any money?" She asked him, putting the paper back and turning to face him. He checked his pockets, and nodded.

"Universal credit card with infinite funds." He grinned. "Why?"

"I can't very well go about looking like I'm from the 19th century." Ashley rolled her eyes. Jack laughed, and handed it to her.

"Have fun with it. I'll be around the corner from here, there's a shop I want to check out." He gave her a mock salute, and she laughed, nodding at him then going off.

The clerk at the store gave her a strange glance, and cleared her throat. "Is there...Something I can help you with?" She asked her. Ashley gave her a bright grin.

"Oh, yes." She said cheerily. "I was at a convention and some jerk stole my change of clothes." She said cleverly. The clerk bought it, and helped Ashley with picking out a new outfit. She was more than willing, in fact, when Ashley pulled out the card.

She picked out a pair of black tights, and got a black camisole to go underneath a cream colored knit sweater. There wasn't much of a selection of shoes in the store, so she just got a pair of boots. As she was paying for then, a few accessories caught her eye, and she snagged them. After all, Jack did say to have fun. Ashley gave the woman a smile, and left the store, going to a gas station down the road to change into the new outfit.

Ashley washed up as best as she could in the bathroom sink, and smoothed down her hair. It'd gotten longer...A haircut was soon in order. She got out of the costume she'd been in, and carefully folded it. She was going to keep it as evidence, she supposed. There was something waiting for her in the future, and it made her uncomfortable. Sighing, she stared at herself in the mirror, and tried to look normal. Making sure her new clothes looked good, she left the bathroom, and went inside the station.

It was empty except for the cashier, but that was fine with her. Ashley got a bottle of juice and a bag of chips, and bought them. She ate them outside of the station, putting the outfit into it. She brushed off her mouth, then went to find Jack. It was time to find the Doctor.

X

Jack was where he said he'd be. Glancing up at her from a magazine, he smiled. "You look very nice." He complimented her. She smiled back at him.

"Thank you for, and thank you for letting me use your card." She said.

"You're welcome. I'm glad it was put to a good cause." Ashley laughed.

"Jack, I need to go off now...I really need to find the Doctor." She said. "You don't need to stay with me, but you can keep with if you want to see him again. He's regenerated." Jack smiled at the offer, but shook his head.

"That's alright. I'm on a tight schedule; it was an accident meeting you, however a nice one." Ashley winked at him. "Anyways, I've got to go. Things to meet, people to do." He chuckled at the look she gave him. "It's been very nice knowing you, Ashley Poole."

"I'm glad I got to meet the infamous Captain Jack Harkness." She said in return, shaking his hand. "I hope we can see each other again."

Jack grinned. "So do I. Until then, Ashley." He saluted her, and popped off with the manipulator. The flash of light made the shop owner look up, but Ashley just shrugged and gave him a smile. She went outside, and took a deep breath. How to catch the Doctor?

Well, she supposed she could go try Amy and Rory's house. She walked down to it, thank goodness Jack had at least landed her close. Ashley knocked on the door, but judging by the pile of mail inside, nobody had been home for a while... "Huh." Ashley began thinking. How did Amy and Rory get his attention before..? Okay, there was no way she was going to drive his name out in a wheat field. She couldn't carve his name out in the oldest cliff in time, either. Ashley sat down on the front step, and began thinking. It had to be something big. Something unusual...She began kicking her feet against the ground as she thought. What to do...

Ashley stared at her feet. What was with the pattern? One, two, three, four...Ashley lunged to her feet. "That's it!" She gasped. Somehow she had to get a transmitter radio, and rewire it to send that out across the planet for a whole day, nothing broadcasting but that beat! That was sure to get his attention! Sure, he may think it's the Master, but there was no better way. Ashley took off, looking around for a place that might sell one.

Just her luck. A second-hand store was selling one, and maybe Ashley had forgotten to give Jack's card back. Oh, well, she'd make sure she got it back to him eventually. She bought the radio as well as some tools, and went back to the Ponds' home. Going through the gate to the back yard, she sat down on the patio. Now. What to do.

Her shoulders slumped. She hadn't thought this far ahead. Ashley started at the radio blankly, tapping the beat out on her leg with her fingers. A low hum filled her ears, and slowly she picked up a screwdriver, opening the back panel of it.

Ashley worked for a whole hour, not really knowing what she was doing. It was like her hands were working on their own. Finally she sat back, looking at the radio in a daze. Did it work? There was only one way to find out... She flipped the radio around to face her, and turned it on. There was nothing but silence and static, and, scowling, Ashley smacked the side of it. A high pitched noise came out, making her wince, but then...One two three four.

The low, steady beat began broadcasting out of it, and part of Ashley knew it was slowly making it's way across London through personal radios, shooting out through antennae, bouncing across the ocean via satellite...Within three hours the world would hear nothing but the beat. With a self satisfied smirk, Ashley crossed her legs, and leaned back to wait. The Doctor would be sure the catch wind of an Earth article about the strange beat that took over the Earth for a day, and soon he would pinpoint where it came from with his fancy tools and Sonic Screwdriver, and then he'd find her.

X

The next day around noon, Ashley woke up. She must have fallen asleep sometime last night around nine...She got up, and winced. Okay, new rule. No sleeping on the patio. She left through the back gate to go down to the gas station to use the bathroom and get some food. As she came out of the restroom, she noticed a few people up in the front, talking over a newspaper.

"It's strange." A woman said. "My sister in New York says it's the same all the way over there as it is here." A man was listening at his phone, the gave up, closing it.

"Even the television stations and the phone lines have it. It's scaring my wife." The cashier leaned over the counter, and whispered loudly to them, saying he thought it was aliens, trying to contact the Earth.

Ashley coughed to cover up her laugh. If only they knew.


	35. Chapter 35

Ashley got something to eat, then went to find a salon. Might as well get a hair cut while she waited. She thumbed through a magazine of hair styles and decided to get her hair cut to just above her shoulders. She had it layered, and the woman made her hair look like it had wind-blown waves. After that, she lollygagged outside, just taking a walk, and around five she headed back. Lights were on inside the house, and she could hear people talking in the backyard.

Peeking through the gate, Ashley could see the side of a blue box. She grinned as she heard the sound of a Sonic. Opening the gate as quietly as she could, Ashley walked into view, and crossed her arms, leaning her weight on one side. Amy and Rory were standing in the sliding door, and the Doctor was circling the radio, using his Sonic to examine it. He turned the power button off, and leaned back, frowning at it. Ashley decided now was as good as time as any to make herself known.

"Still wearing a bow tie, I see." She observed. The other three jumped, startled, and the Doctor whirled to face her. For a moment it looked like he didn't recognize her, but slowly recognition dawned on his face, and his mouth gaped.

"Ashley?" He asked in a disbelieving tone. She smiled at him.

"Howdy do, Doctor. Miss me?" He ran to her in reply and hugged her close, laughing.

"What-How-You're here!" He said, holding her away from him at arm's length. Ashley realized her eyes were misting.

"I am!" She replied with a huge grin.

"But how? The Angel.." He dropped his arms and stepped back. Ashley tilted her head from side to side.

"I have my ways, including a very handsome Captain." It only took him a minute to figure that out.

"You met Jack? You mean, the manipulator got you out? How?" The Doctor demanded. "And how on Earth did you do that?" He pointed back behind him at the radio.

Ashley shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't know." She said. "The radio bit just...Sort of came to me, and Jack just happened to be in the right place at the right time." He ran his hand through his hair.

"This..Is amazing. You've been gone for years." Ashley grimaced.

"I know. I was only gone for a few months on my part. Jack messed up in landing." The Doctor studied her for a moment, then hugged her again.

"I am so glad you're absolutely brilliant." He said. Ashley face felt uncomfortably warm.

"Thanks...I'm glad I'm back."

She went over to a stunned Amy and Rory. They looked the same, maybe a bit older. Grinning, she held her arms out for a hug. "Well?" She asked them. Amy jolted forward to hug her, and Rory joined in a moment later.

"Oh, goodness, I missed you!" Amy said, giving her a squeeze.

"I missed you both, too!" Ashley laughed, so happy to be back in a relatively normal time. "I thought I'd be stuck forever and ever back there." They went inside to catch up, and after Ashley had told them all about her time in the past, the Doctor admitted that he'd seen her.

"What? When?" Amy looked startled. "Why didn't you tell us about this?"

"I believe I saw her right before she was Touched. I wasn't sure if her disappearance was Fixed or not, so I didn't want to mess anything up by going with her or her coming with me. You'd said that she saw me, so..." He trailed off. Ashley blinked.

"Wait a minute. Couldn't we have just avoided the whole encounter if you had taken me with you?" She asked him. The Doctor shook his head.

"It may have created a paradox, and those things can get quite out of hand. I'm sure you know what I mean." She nodded.

"Luckily the church is right across the street." She muttered to herself. He gave her an uncomfortable look, but let it pass.

"Hey, Rory." Ashley looked over at him. "You and Amy were in the house with me. Did the Angel just leave you two alone?"

"We saw it, and I kept an eye on it, well, both really, and Amy called the Doctor. Luckily he decided to pick up for once, and he materialized around us, so we got away." He explained. Ashley sighed.

"That was really lucky." She felt a bit bitter that they got away, but whatever. She was back now. "So. What have you all been up to all this time?" She asked them.

"A whole lot. It'd take a year to explain all that we've done." Amy chuckled.

"I expect you to eventually tell me everything." Ashley teased her. "For now, though, can I just go to my room?" They all suddenly appeared uncomfortable.

"About that..." The Doctor began. Ashley looked at him disbelieving.

"What." She had a feeling that she knew.

"Well...We had a bit of an incident where I had to delete some rooms, and we thought you were gone..."

"No. Way. You deleted my room?" Ashley stared at him.

"It was for a good cause!" He protested. "It saved the universe, in a way." She got up abruptly, and irritably stormed out of the house to the TARDIS.

"I want a new room!" She shouted as she stormed into it. She continued down the hall to where her room used to be. "WITHOUT a bunk bed!" A door materialized in the wall where there was a vacancy from her previous door, and she threw the door open, and slammed it shut. The Doctor grimaced inside the house.

"I think I deserved that." He muttered.

"You think?" Amy laughed.

X

Ashley room was completely different from the last one. It was bigger, for one thing. A whole wall was covered with bookshelves, filled with every book she could ever want to read. A brown leather sofa, loveseat and armchair reading area was near the bookshelf, and a large mahogany desk was opposite it. The desk top was covered in books and papers, and there was a comfortable looking office swivel chair near it.

There was a Queen bed to the right of the door, and Ashley immediately ran to it, throwing herself into the plush pillows and quilt. Rolling herself up into a burrito with the quilt, she looked around the room some more. Across the room from the bed was a dresser with a mirror, and a large wardrobe right next to it. Most of the room was empty, and the floor looked like cherry-wood, and a thick white rug covered part of it.

The room looked rather lonesome, but Ashley had a feeling she'd add to it eventually, if she never got home, that was. She let out a grumpy sigh, and kicked her boots off. Maybe she was over-reacting about the room, but it made her feel rather not important thinking that he'd erase her room just because she wasn't there. She was sure he'd kept the other companion's old rooms even though they were gone now. Someone knocked at the door, and she let out an indifferent noise that was supposed to mean, 'Come in.'

The Doctor poked his head in, and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about the whole room bit, Poole." Ashley made a grumpy noise, and rolled over, giving him her quilt burrito back. He sighed. "I really mean it. There was no other way."

"Could'a deleted your little museum. Or are your artifacts more important than me?" She muttered, uncharacteristically sour. He ran a hand over his face.

"Ashley, those are one of a kind, they're history-"

"So they're more important than me."

"Don't be like that! I-"

"Like what? Unimportant?"

It was his turn to make a grumpy noise. "You know I didn't mean that." Ashley suddenly flailed, shoving the quilt away from her violently. She sat up, and looked at him.

"I don't even belong in this universe. That room was really the last real trace of me. I used an alias in the past, so what would have happened to Ashley Poole if you deleted the room, but I never came back? She'd cease to exist!" She sniffed disdainfully. "Maybe I should go back to being Ash Yanavich. She was treated more important that Ashley Poole."

The Doctor paused. "...Ash what?" Ashley gave him a glare.

"You didn't even listen to me! Get out of my room."

He scowled. "It's MY TARDIS." He retorted.

"Fine! I'll leave then! Drop me back off in the past, and I'll leave you alone. You weren't even working on getting me back, so I might as well stop hoping. You haven't fixed anything!" Ashley launched off of the bed, and grabbed her boots, stalking past him to the door. His arm shot out and stopped her from opening it, however.

"Listen, Ashley. I have been working. I just can't open a passage back." She turned her face slowly up to face his.

"You could for Rose." He was shocked.

"You-You know what happened then!" The Doctor spluttered.

"Yeah, I do. You burned up a sun for her just to say goodbye. Couldn't you do that to get me back to my Dad?" He was at a loss for words.

"Ashley-" She was on a roll, however.

"Just because you felt that Jenny could grow up without a father, that doesn't mean I should!" The Doctor took a step back, getting angry.

"I thought she was dead!"

"She is a Time Lord! You don't die like that! Oh, that's right, she's just an 'ECHO'"

"Don't bring my family into this-"

"I thought she wasn't your daughter! After all, sharing characteristics with primates doesn't make you a monkey's uncle!"

"You're impossible!"

"Good!"

Ashley ducked around him, and went to go sit on the couch. She hugged a pillow to her chest, and seethed. "I want to go home! Ever since I got here it's been nothing but trouble! Being kidnapped, almost eaten, all the weird stuff I've been experiencing, and- And-" She broke off because something under the cushion was making an uncomfortable lump. She reached under, and pulled out her purse that had come with her from her universe.

Just the sight of it sucked all the steam from her system. Ashley quieted down, and felt really tired. She pulled out her phone, and turned it over in her hands. It was long dead. She dug around in it for her iPod, but that was dead, too. So no pictures for her, then. Dropping them back in, she picked up an unfamiliar, yet familiar, round disk of wood. She glanced at it, and tossed it over her shoulder. "What the heck is Theta Sigma?" She grumbled, dropping her purse and burying her face into the pillow.

The Doctor, who she'd momentarily forgotten about, sucked in his breath. "...What?" He asked her. "What did you say?"

"Theta Sigma."

"Yes." Ashley turned around to look at him like he was insane.

"...What."

"You said my name." She blinked, not sure if she heard right.

"Nobody knows your name..?" It was almost a question.

"Apparently you do." He crossed the room to pick up the disk. He made a disbelieving noise as he looked at it.

"Now what is it?" Ashley whined, getting tired of everything in general.

"Ashley, this is really important. Did you just read my name off of this disk?" She was hesitant, but she nodded. "That can't be right. Something's wrong. You must have seen something in your universe..."

"Holy cow, Doctor! What is it?!"

"This is Gallifreyan, and you just read it."

(And so the updating begins. I am NOT going to make Ashley a Time Lord.

You will all see in due time.

Thank you all for sticking with me for so long in my absence.)


	36. Chapter 36

"Run that by me one more time." Ashley was sure he was playing a prank on her. It had to be a prank...Right? The Doctor sighed, and looked like he was steadying himself.

"This," He waved the wooden disk in the air. "Is the written language of Gallifrey. Nobody except for me can read it, and apparently Jenny can somewhat..." Ashley was briefly reminded of the device that they'd found a while back. The Doctor continued. "The TARDIS can't translate it, but you somehow, I have no idea how, just read this."

To say he looked stressed would be an understatement. He started to pace back and forth, and gripped his hair with his hands. Finally he stopped, and looked over at Ashley. "Where did you get this?" He asked, no, demanded of her. She shrank back away from him.

"I don't remember," She whispered. He stamped his foot.

"You have to! This is crucial!" In all of Ashley's time watching Doctor Who, she'd never heard him raise his voice like that. She thought hard, trying to trace her life back to when she could have picked it up.

"Uh, well, I think I was in New York..." She trailed off, racking her brain. "It was in the same shop that I picked up the fez... I'd said when we first met that I thought I had it. I was just joking then, because it had a funny burnt smell to it, and River Song had blasted it, but what if it really was it?" The idea horrified her, then something else occurred to her.

"What is it?" The Doctor asked her, noticing how pale she went.

"Earlier that day I was so sure that Weeping Angels were across the street from an office I'd been at. Each time I'd looked out they were at a different spot..." Ashley shivered, thinking about how close they'd been to her, and how horrible it'd been when she'd been Touched. "That day was also when...When..." She seemed unable to continue.

"When...What?" The Doctor prodded her gently.

"That was the day I first noticed the watch that eventually brought me here." Ashley looked straight up into his eyes. "I didn't pay any attention to it at the time, I'd thought it was my father's." The Doctor groaned inwardly.

"We never did find out where that went, did we." He shook his head. "Okay, Ashley, think. Tell me everything new that's happened since you got here." She gave him an unimpressed look. "Don't be smart!" He snapped. Ashley took in a breath, then blew it out slowly.

` "Well, that encounter with the Silence was pretty intense...My body has been a bit wonky; I've slept for long periods of time and I don't normally do that. I fell asleep in the hot tub once." She pursed her lips. "The fact that this universe's version of myself looked so different has been bugging me, and once I drew a picture that was like that," She pointed at the disk. "In the the garden." The Doctor spun on his foot, and headed out. Ashley scrambled off the couch after him.

"Keep talking." The Doctor said as they walked swiftly down the hall to the garden.

"Uh, well, I got kidnapped, and that was really off. I'd fixed your Sonic, too, and I have no idea how I managed to pull that off. Also, why'd they stick me in an isolation tank? That was unnecessary." Ashley frowned.

The Doctor opened the door to the garden, and asked her to find it. She made her way over to the little bamboo area, and pointed down at it. He crouched next to it, examining it every which way. "...Well? What does it say?" She asked him apprehensively. He looked over his shoulder at her.

"You tell me." Ashley bristled, and turned her nose up, giving him her back as she crossed her arms. He sighed.

"It says remember." His tone was soft. Remember what? Despite the fact that she was supposed to mad at him, Ashley looked curiously over her shoulder at him. What could she have forgotten? A great deal, apparently, if she could read and write Gallifreyan. "I wish I had that watch." The Doctor muttered. He looked back at her, and after a long minute, stood up, rubbing the dirt together with his foot, erasing the symbol. "I'll see what I can do, but in the mean time... We'd best not bring this up." Ashley nodded in agreement, suppressing a shiver.

X

"Did you two get everything sorted out?" Amy asked Ashley and the Doctor as they entered the Ponds' home. Ashley forced a quick smile.

"Yeah...Sorry about that. I guess I was a little on edge after being sent back in time and suddenly being back five years later." She laughed, still sounding a bit stressed. Amy nodded, not noticing their strained faces.

"I can understand...That must have been tough." She said. Rory agreed with a firm nod of his head.

"Especially after getting that weird package!" He exclaimed. "It's like whoever sent it knew what was going to happen." The Doctor looked down at Ashley, arching an eyebrow.

"Package?" He queried. Ashley grimaced.

"I got an old-fashioned outfit that made me look like a Tootsie Roll, like, only half a hour before I found the Angel."

"Do you still have it?" Instead of answering, Ashley looked around for where she'd left it.

Locating it behind a potted plant where she'd stashed the bag earlier, she grabbed it, and brought it over to him. "Rory said he'd found it on the stoop. It was addressed to me, and I tried it on." She grimaced with distaste as the Doctor pulled it out to examine it. He nearly chuckled. "In the pocket was a little note that told me to brace myself, and when I went to go change out of it, I saw someone in the back yard: the Angel." She shuddered. "On the back of the paper was another note telling me not to tell anyone my real name, and it was signed by an Ash Yanavich. I freaked out and said that was my name, too." Ashley pursed her lips. "I wonder who they are..."

The Doctor had found the note, and was looking over it carefully, even scanning it with the Screwdriver. "Yana... Hm." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Ashley asked, glancing at him curiously. He shook his head.

"Nothing." He stashed the note and Sonic both in his pocket, then straightened up. "Well! It was a good thing that they sent it to you when they did, or you would have looked sorely out of place." He got a glare from her, not appreciating it at all. He chuckled this time. "I'm sure we can all say that we're glad you're back unharmed, however late." Amy and Rory nodded in agreement. Ashley rolled her eyes.

"I've just one thing to say to all this." Ashley said, giving the Ponds an apologetic glance. "I don't think I can sleep another night here." Amy laughed.

X

Ashley went back to living in the TARDIS, and Amy and Rory came along, too. Nothing exciting happened for a while, and that was just fine with Ashley. She spent a lot of time in her room, reading and just thinking. Whatever brilliance had struck her for that short time had suddenly decided to up and leave, and Ashley found herself unable to read or write Gallifreyan. The Doctor and her both were stumped.

"Maybe your brilliance just rubbed off on me for a short while." Ashley supplied weakly. He gave her a look, and shook his head. Ashley rolled her eyes.

After a while Ashley decided to poke about on the desk in her room. She frowned. The desk was covered in papers and books, but they were all blank. She cast a curious glance upwards, as if asking why the TARDIS had done such a thing. Shrugging, she organized the desk, and used the blank papers to draw and write. In one of the blank books she recorded all on the events that had gone on since she arrived in this universe. After a week or so of being back, while Ashley was recording the adventure on the planet with the oil slick creature, the lights turned red and an alarm sounded. She groaned, and dropped her pencil, going to the console room.

"What's going on this time?" She asked the Doctor.

"Someone's calling for help." He replied shortly, not paying much attention. She gave him an unimpressed look, and poked him in the side. He jerked, and looked at her, blinking.

"Elucidate." She stressed the word. "Who's calling for help, and why?" He looked back at the screen.

"Someone is calling for help, that's all I know! It's top priority, though."

"Are we going to check it out?" Amy asked as she came in with Rory. They both looked rumpled, like they'd been...Asleep. The Doctor gave her a grin.

"Of course we are."

x

All was quiet when they stepped out of the TARDIS. The room they'd landed in looked like a security room, screens displaying several camera feeds covering the walls. There was a long desk, covered in gadgets, and a few swivel chairs, one knocked over. It was dark except for a dull red light that flashed in time to a distant alarm. The skin on Ashley's arms crawled. "It's so eerie here..." She whispered. Amy nodded, taking Rory's hand. Something had definitely gone down here.

On the other side of the room was a sealed door, and the Doctor went to it to unlock it. The other three poked about in the room, looking at the screens, and checking in drawers. Ashley went over to a metal locker, and opened it, only finding uniforms. Something metallic bumped, and Ashley's heart jumped. She scowled to herself a moment later, realizing that a book had just fallen over against the locker's side. She looked at the emblem stitched on the uniforms. "E.C.H.O." Huh. She looked over at the Doctor right as the seal broke and the door slid open.

"Let's go." He said, looking mildly nervous. Amy and Rory followed, and Ashley started to when there was a soft thump behind her. She spun around, and opened her mouth to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth, the door sliding shut behind the Doctor and the Ponds as they continued on, oblivious.

X

"So. Where are we?" Amy asked the Doctor, staying close to her boys.

"On a space station in the Mead galaxy." She pursed her lips.

"Oh, a new place. That's cool." She smiled.

"Station? So, is this that place that Jenny mentioned on the device?" Nothing got past Rory, especially when it came to the Doctor's relations. The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed, but didn't reply.

"Where is everyone?" Amy asked. "With all those cameras we saw, this place should be crawling with people." The Doctor nodded.

"Exactly what I was thinking. Who sent that signal? It was coming from a personal device, not an emergency system." He paused, and scratched his head. "What do you think, Poole?"

No response.

"Ashley?" They all turned around, finally noticing that the blonde was absent.

"Oh, brother." Amy muttered.

X

A green eye winked at Ashley, and the hand was removed. Ashley blinked several times, trying to calm her heart. The woman with chestnut hair in front of her was very familiar... "Sorry to scare you. Couldn't let you let the others know I was here. Yet." She smiled.

"Oh! You're Jenny!" Ashley finally realized with a start. The woman took a step back, and bowed dramatically, sweeping a leg out to the side, one arm held majestically in the air.

"That I am! Have we met?" Ashley shook her head.

"No. I just know of you. You're...Blonde though?" Jenny smiled.

"Since I don't regenerate into a new face, I have to dye my hair and put in different colored contacts in every once in a while. Spray tans are also brilliant." She chuckled.

Ashley felt herself smile, then it dropped. "How come you called us here?" Jenny's face darkened.

"Vastha Nerada." She said in a low voice. "I don't know why, but they're crawling all over the station. There's only four of us left."

"...Out of how many?"

"Three hundred and twenty seven." Ashley jerked.

"How come you let them go off on their own?!" She stumbled away to try to open the door herself. Jenny put her hand on Ashley's shoulder, and swiped a card through a slot, and the door opened.

"I made sure that their path would lead them to my friends. No door will open except that one."

"You Sonic proofed them?"

Jenny's blank face made her turn on her heel and go running. "DOCTOR!"

x

They got turned around. "We're lost." Amy said, giving her raggedy man a glare.

"No, we're not! Just...Misplaced." Rory muttered under his breath. He'd heard that before. They were in a corridor, and there was only one light on, and even then it looked weak.

"Where could we have lost her?" Amy asked, looking behind her. She was getting the creeps. Something in the dark was spooking her.

"I don't know. We went a pretty long ways, what with all those doors and halls we went through." He fiddled with his bow tie. Where was everyone? He opened a door, and they entered a room that could have been a mess hall.

They wandered around, and the Doctor noticed random piles of fabric here and there.

"Maybe it was an attack of the demented laundry." Amy remarked dryly.

"Har har." Rory rolled his eyes. The Doctor leaned over a counter, peering into the kitchen. There was something in the corner... He shone the Sonic at it, and the green light illuminated a roasted chicken. He wrinkled his nose; it looked like it'd been out for a while. His foot slipped, and his body shifted. Grunting, he moved his hand with the Sonic in it, and looked down at his foot. He'd been in a pile of grease. Looking back up, his hearts jolted. The chicken was nothing but bones.

"Amy! Rory! Into the light! Now!" He yelled.

X

"Where are they?" Ashley asked, leaning against a wall and panting. The hall that the Doctor was supposed to go down was completely illuminated, but several doors and halls they'd passed were dark. Jenny jogged up behind her.

"I..." She swallowed thickly. "Forgot about his Sonic." Ashley pressed her hand over her face.

"That much is apparent." She muttered. "Is there a console or something that can tell where they are?" She looked around. Jenny pursed her lips, and brought out the pager like device that the Doctor found in the TARDIS. She fiddled with it, and held it up.

"They're down the hall, second door, third hall, first room." She said, starting off. Ashley looked behind herself uneasily, and noticed with a start the farthest light went off.

"Start running, Jenny!" She shouted, going after her.


	37. Chapter 37

"Doctor! What's going on?" Amy asked as Rory and her hustled into the middle of the room without question. His tone of voice was good enough to get her moving.

"Have you ever wondered why children have an unexplainable fear of the dark?" He asked her, backing to her so the three stood in a triangle, back to back. She paused, then shook her head. "It's because they know, deep down inside of them, that there's something waiting for them. It's a primal instinct. They know that the Vashta Nerada can strip them of their flesh in seconds."

"The what?" Rory looked over his shoulder at the Doctor.

"Vastha Nerada. They're living shadows, and they can strip a full grown hippopotamus of all it's flesh in 44.6 seconds." Amy shuddered.

"...Is that where all the people went?" She asked softly.

"People...People!" The Doctor looked down, and shone the Sonic's light at a 'pile of fabric' near him. "Oh, my." He muttered.

"Okay, here's the plan. I'll enhance the light in here for as long as I can, then you two streak for the door. We've got to get back to that main corridor." He said. "And...Be sure your shadow is only your own." Amy opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but he held the Sonic up. "One! Two! Go!" He shouted, turning the Screwdriver on. The lights flared to life, and they ran for the door. The Doctor barely got out before the lights blew, thus encasing the room in darkness.

X

"The lights are going out!" Ashley panicked as she ran next to Jenny as they tracked down her father. Jenny looked back, and grimaced.

"Fan-freaking-tastic." She muttered. "Okay! Here's the plan! We find the Doctor and his companions, get them out into this corridor before every light blows, and then get them to my friends."

"Wouldn't the lights go out there, too?" Jenny shook her head.

"It's lit by a sky light. We're right next to a star." Her glance went to the side, and Ashley frowned.

"What else is going on?" She asked, suspicious. They turned into a door.

"Ah, well, maybe the only people who knew how to properly work this station are dead, and maybe in a moment of panic one of my friends pressed something wrong..."

"...And?" Ashley prompted.

"And, well, let's just say he turned off the stabilizers, and we're slowly drifting into the star that we typically orbit.." Jenny squeezed her eyes shut and grimaced. "And we received report that the star is going to go super nova in approximately twenty four minutes." Ashley nearly fell over. Taking a deep breath, she ran a hand through her hair.

"How close are we?" She asked. Jenny checked her device.

"Close enough. Start shouting."

"Doctor! Amy! Rory! Where are you?!"

x

The Doctor shut the door, and they paused to take a breath. There was enough light in here to pause for a moment. "That was too close." Amy gasped. Rory nodded.

"How do we escape these Vashta 'Nervana'?" He asked.

"Nerada." He corrected. "We get into some light, and get out of here. We've got to get back to the TARDIS."

"What about Ashley?" Amy asked, looking startled.

"Ash- Oh!" He smacked himself in the forehead. "We get back to the TARDIS AFTER we find her, then." He was about to say something as he fiddled with the Sonic when Rory held up his hand for silence.

"Do you two hear something?" They all fell silent, listening.

"...Bloody Hell, Doctor! If you don't get you and your pointy chin out here, so help me!" Someone shouted nearby. The Doctor grinned.

"That'd be Poole. Come on!" They all fled down the hall toward her voice. The lights flickered above them, and the Doctor started jogging backwards, focusing on keeping the lights on. Amy and Rory turned a corner without him, and he was momentarily alone. He stopped, and looked over his shoulder. They'd be alright without him for a moment or two, especially if they found Ashley. The Doctor took in a deep breath, and turned around the opposite corner.

X

"Amy!" Ashley was never so relieved to see the ginger. She near about plowed her over in crushing her in a hug at full speed. "I thought you all got eaten!" Amy grinned.

"Not me. I'm probably too spicy for the shadows." She joked. "Rory's just too skinny to be bothered with." He frowned briefly, and then chuckled. He was long used to her jokes. Ashley looked behind them, and frowned.

"Where's the Doctor?" She asked in a flat tone. Amy looked behind herself, and frowned herself.

"He'd been right behind us…" Jenny shifted uncomfortably, drawing Amy's attention to her.

"Hello there. Who're you?" Jenny ducked her heard.

"…'m Jenny." She muttered, suddenly shy. Amy was impressed.

"Jenny? You're the Doctor's daughter?" Jenny nodded.

"He's talked about me?" She asked, curious.

"Well, not exactly. You're the one who-" She was cut off by Ashley, who suddenly was racked with a 'coughing fit'. She gave her friend a meaningful look, and Amy closed her mouth.

"The one who… What?" Jenny looked a bit suspicious. Ashley's not-so-subtle attempt to shut Amy's mouth did not go unnoticed. Amy looked down, and appeared chastised.

"The one who he'd left behind." Oh, ouch. Ashley couldn't help but feel a twinge of remorse for having to do that to Jenny, but they shouldn't give away the future. Jenny's back straightened, and her mouth formed a tight line.

"Oh." Was all she had to say. "Well." There was an awkward moment of silence, and then Ashley snorted softly.

"We've got to find that idiot before he gets eaten." She said firmly. "Amy and Rory, you should go to Jenny's friends. They're safe there." 'I think…' She thought to herself. "Jenny. Could you show them the way?" Jenny arched an eyebrow at her.

"Taking charge, are we? No way. I am not leaving you to go off by yourself. You could get hurt."

"It doesn't matter." Ashley said. "We've got to get those two safe and I've got to find the Doctor." She didn't add the fact that she'd be nothing without him. Jenny studied her face carefully, and before she could open her mouth, Ashley had turned sharply and ran down the hall the way the Ponds had come.

"That girl's got a death wish…" Jenny muttered, turning to show Amy and Rory the way.

X

Ashley slowed down to a jog as soon as she was out of sight. She was getting a peculiar chill, and it felt all too similar to what she'd felt at home. She looked around nervously, and picked up the pace, not wanting to get caught in the dark. Going back to the control room where they'd landed, or at least trying to, Ashley opened a door, and…

Was met by total darkness. Her heart stopped for a moment as the door slid shut behind her. "Oh crap." She swore, feeling behind her for the control panel. This must be the control room, because the door required a card. What sort of room needs a card to leave, but not to enter?! The screens had died, and the emergency light was barely a glimmer, not casting an inch of light. She could almost swear she heard the Vashta Nerada swarming around her, getting closer and closer. Unwillingly she imagined what it'd feel like being stripped of her flesh. Would it be like being cut? Bitten? Maybe she wouldn't feel anything. Too bad she didn't have a suit or a Sonic. Nobody would ever know her last thoughts.

Then again, that would be a good thing. Her head felt like it'd explode as her life literally played itself out again, and she thought of her mother, father, Derek…The Doctor…. Even Jonathan. She'd never see them again. She felt a sharp cold cover her body, like she'd jumped into frozen pond filled with needles, and she knew she was about to die. Ashley forced one thought into her mind to go with.

"Geronimo."

X

The TARDIS's noise filled the air, causing the Ponds and Jenny and her crew to turn. Amy and Rory went to the door, but Jenny took the hand of a man, and stepped out of view behind him, ducking her head. Her hearts were pounding. After such a long time of following him and watching him from a distance, she was about to come face to face with him. Oh, cheeses! The TARDIS finished materializing, and he stepped out, fixing his jacket.

"Sorry 'bout that. I went to get the TARDIS while I still could." He grinned. Amy rolled her eyes.

"She's here." She whispered to him under her breath. He looked momentarily pale, and then smiled uncertainly.

"Who's here..?" He faltered. Amy gave him a sharp look.

"Her." She stepped away, and nudged him forward. He almost stumbled, becoming two left feet, then stood tall. His own hearts were pounding. What would she be like? It'd been such a long time…Would she be mad at him for not waiting? Oh, that was what had bothered him all of those years. Should he have waited? Obviously he should have… The man Jenny was hiding behind gave her hand a squeeze, and looked back at her, giving her a supportive smile, stepping away and removing his hand. Jenny gave him an unappreciative glare, and suddenly remembered herself.

She looked over at the Doctor, trying to keep her expression under control. Ha! Nope! Her mouth quivered, and her eyes blurred. Before she knew what she was doing, she stumbled over to the Doctor, meeting him in a hug. He embraced her back, stroking her hair and laughing in a relieved tone. She wasn't angry with him! Jenny's eyes ran, and she beamed through her tears. "Hello, Dad." She choked out, repeating her very first words.

"Jenny." He breathed out in awe, holding her out at arm's length. "You're alive." Of course he already knew this because of the device, but it was real. Now he actually had her in his arms, alive and well and breathing. Whole. She was identical to how she looked back on Messaline, albeit of her color scheme being different. Either it hadn't been too long for her, or she was just very lucky…Could she not have been able to regenerate? So many questions whirled through his head.

Jenny gave him a wry smile. "I thought we'd already established this." He chuckled.

"Yes…It's just so amazing to see you." It was the honest truth. Her expression softened, and she wiped at her eyes.

"It's good to finally catch up with you." She whispered. "So much running. I was beginning to get tired of it. Can you believe it?" She joked, trying to lighten the moment. He smiled.

"Yeah…It's not impossible, though. Just unlikely." He'd said a similar phrase back on Messaline. She laughed.

"You ditched the trench coat." She observed. "I'm not sure how I feel about the bow tie and tweed." The Doctor pretended to be offended.

"Bow ties are very cool, and if you're any daughter of mine, you know it." He said. Jenny grinned.

"It is very cool, but I prefer the trench coat anyway…" She laughed breathlessly. "It has…Sentimental value." His smile grew smaller, but was still sincere.

"Maybe I'll let you have it."

Jenny's expression lit up, but Rory interrupted. "I'm glad you two are getting back together, but where's Ashley?" The Doctor looked back over his shoulder at him.

"She's not with you?" He asked, puzzled. Jenny sucked in her breath. The happy moment was gone now. It was time to be serious.

"She went to go find you. I assumed that since you showed up she'd found you…" The Doctor dropped his arms, and whirled on his foot, sprinting to the console and moving it back to its last coordinate. If she was looking for him, she was bound to end back up in the control room.

"Doctor!" Amy was wide eyed. His palms were sweaty, and the doors to the TARDIS slammed shut. Jenny had quickly gotten her friends and the Ponds on board, not wasting a moment.

"Dad, we have to move quickly! The star we're orbiting it going to go super nova!" She'd forgotten it in her happiness, and already the station was growing warm.

"What?!" His voice was strangled, looking up at her. She flinched, then steeled herself.

"This station is slowly drifting into the star, and it's going super nova. I'd say we have less than six minutes. What's so difficult about that? Get this ship moving!" The Doctor swung a lever down, and they jolted back to the control room. He'd barely had it out in time himself before the Vashta Nerade swarmed in. The lights in the TARDIS went on full blast, nearly blinding everyone, and the doors swung in as the Doctor ran out.

"Ashley?" He called. The lights of the TARDIS pushed the shadows back, and he noticed something crumpled by the door. "Oh, no."

(I must admit, it was difficult to write the reunion with the Doctor and his daughter. I run a Jenny role play blog, so I got a LOT of feelings.)


	38. Chapter 38

"Ashley… Ashley…Wake up." A man's voice came to her, sounding far off and muffled, like he was talking through fabric.  
"She's still alive…" A female's voice joined in, and cool hands pressed themselves against her face. Ashley's eyes fluttered open, and briefly got a blurred glimpse of ginger before they rolled back, and she fainted again. She sank into darkness, and felt sort of like she was dreaming. Do you know that feeling when you're sound asleep but your eyes are open? How the environment around you sort of filters into your dreaming consciousness? It felt like that. One part of her heard and felt the Doctor picking her up, carrying her into the TARDIS.  
"Her clothes are all shredded, but not a scratch on her…" A distant part of her brain felt embarrassment. Shredded? Oh bother…  
"Dad, she should be dead... They didn't spare anyone else…"  
"Ma'am, the star! It's going to blow!"

There was a faint feeling of frenzied movement around her and she felt a jolt of the TARDIS whisking off into the Time Vortex. Everything quieted, and she felt like she was drifting away from her body.  
"She's seizing." The voice that spoke was unfamiliar.  
"Pin her down! Make sure she doesn't bite her tongue off." It was a woman's voice now. It sent shivers down her spine. "Something must have traumatized her…" Rough hands pressed against her limbs while others held her head in place, and someone else inserted something into her mouth, pinning her tongue down. She gagged, and woke up with a start. Ashley sat bolt upright in her bed. For a moment the world spun, and eventually settled. Someone in one of the chairs shifted, and Ashley looked over. It was the Doctor, and he looked exhausted.

He was slumped back in the chair, arms draped over the arms of the chair. Dark circles were under his eyes, his hair a rumpled mess, and even his bow tie was askew. He felt Ashley watching him, and got up with a jolt, crossing to her quickly. "How do you feel?" He asked her. She was quiet for a moment.  
"Did I have a seizure?" She finally asked him. He looked confused, and shook his head. It must have been a dream, then. Ashley forced a grin onto her face. "Did I die and you're actually some sort of weird angel?" That made him chuckle.  
"No, you're perfectly alive…" And he had no idea why.  
"But...What about..?" He put a hand on her shoulder.  
"We'll figure it all out later, okay? For now, you get some rest." He gave her a reassuring smile, and rose to leave.  
"Doctor." He stopped, and turned to look at her.  
"You get some rest, too. You look frightful." She smiled. He returned it, and left.  
x  
Jenny looked up when her father entered the room. "Is she okay?" She asked anxiously. The Doctor nodded. The man she'd been with back on the station put a hand on her shoulder.  
"Something's not right with that girl." He said under his breath to her. The Doctor looked irritated. Jenny's face colored.  
"She's just fine, Macon." She muttered back.  
"No, Jenny. You just met her, how could you know?"  
"The Doctor trusts her." Was her only answer. Macon arched an eyebrow at her.  
"How do we trust the Doctor? I've heard many a thing." Jenny's mouth became a tight line, and she flounced away from him and over to her father.

"Don't mind Macon. He's too superstitious." She grumbled. The Doctor gave her a weird look, glancing between her and Macon. Jenny caught the glances, and her face turned even more pink.  
"What?" She seemed offended. "You can't expect a girl to be alone for over 300 years." The Doctor held up his hands.  
"Woah, now. No need for that." Amy laughed behind him, and the mood all around seemed to relax. A woman, a survivor from the crew, wrung her hands.  
"I agree with Macon." She announced. "Why did she get spared, while not a single soul from our ship was not?" Jenny looked over at her mate.  
"That's enough, Cecily. We've been through a lot, okay?" Cecily grumbled under her breath, but withdrew to the other crew survivors.

"Well. The first thing we need to do is figure out why there were Vastha Nerada on your station. They prefer the forest, so something drew them there." The Doctor said, drawing everyone's attention. "It wasn't made of wood, was it?" Jenny rolled her eyes.  
"Not even the pencils were made of wood, and we don't use paper. The planet sponsoring the station was very against tree cruelty." The Doctor strummed his fingers against the console.  
"Uh…" Macon glanced down. Jenny looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "We did a recovery mission…There was this library planet, and it was in the direct path of a meteor… Since paper is a luxury item, our station and a few others emptied it out before it got it." The Doctor's back stiffened.  
"Did this planet happen to be quarantined?" He stressed the word. Macon nodded uncertainly.  
"We thought it was cause of the impact danger…" The Doctor smacked the console.  
"The planet was quarantined because it was full of Vashta Nerada! The paper of which the books were made from was cut from their forest!" He struggled not to shout.

"What?" Amy did shout, having no restraints. "You mean there are other stations out there like that?" Jenny's face turned the color of wet cotton, her hands gripped into tight fists. She turned slowly to the surviving crew.  
"Am I not your captain?" She asked them quietly. They all hesitated, then a man nodded. "Am I not founder of the station?" Again there was a nod. "Am I not in charge of all the E.C.H.O. stations?" Macon looked uncomfortable.  
"Love-"  
"Don't, Macon. You are supposed to check in with me for EVERYTHING." Her voice dropped down so low they had to strain to hear her. "Do you not think that the little mission you went on counted as something?" He hung his head. "How many are a few?" She asked.  
"All except 13, 43, and 65." Jenny sucked her breath in, aghast. The Doctor came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.  
"What does that mean?" He asked her softly.

"Every station except for three out of one hundred and one are full of the books." Everyone except for the crew gasped, even Ashley. The Doctor's head turned, and saw her standing in the doorway in her pajamas.  
"How long have you been standing there?" He asked her.  
"Long enough." She said crossing over to them. The TARDIS had turned the lights off in her room, and not wanting to be in the dark, she'd fled the room. "So you mean there are ninety eight stations out there like that one?" Jenny didn't reply, but turned to the console, scanning it.  
"Help me get this set up. I need to contact the others." She said, pulling out a little device from her pocket. This one looked like a tweaked out walkie-talkie. The Doctor complied, and helped her plug it in. "Code Blue, this is Smith. Can anyone hear me?" She said into the device, holding down a button. She let go of the button, and static filled the console room. She repeated herself several times, and each static response made Ashley's stomach sink lower. Jenny was about to press the button again when a voice crackled.

"Smith? By all the saints, Ma'am, what's going on?" A man's voice wavered. Jenny appeared visibly relieved.  
"Doyle, is that you? Good man. How many are left on your station?" There was a pause, then a sigh.  
"It's just me, Ma'am. Johnson used to be with me, but he freaked out and put on a suit, saying he was going to jump down to the planet. He didn't even get out the door when he started repeating himself." Jenny swallowed thickly.  
"Just you? Are you sure?" Jenny was busy typing on a screen. A database was pulled up, and a list of the stations came up. She did a life sign search on each of them, and each count was impossibly high. She paused, then narrowed down the search.  
"Yes, Ma'am. It's just me. I got out in the escape pod."

The results started popping up. Station 1: offline. That must have been the one they'd escaped. Station 2: zero… Station 23: sixteen… Station 32: five... Station 47: one hundred and seven... The list went on. "Doyle, get down to the planet. I'm going to get the others off of the other stations, and then I've got to blow the joint." The Doctor looked worried at that, and she gave him a weary look. "Get in contact with the Comity so they don't run their fool heads off in thinking they're under attack. Smith out." Jenny lowered the device. She let out a sigh, then took in a deep breath before launching off.

"Right. A list of the coordinates is up. Get me there." She said, flipping her hair. The Doctor said not a word, but complied. Each time they landed, Jenny threw herself out the door, running through the station and retrieving the survivors. She did not allow anyone but herself to go and fetch them. "It's my responsibility." She said, refusing to budge. The Doctor didn't like it, and after a few times he went along with her. Ashley led the survivors to an impossibly large room, and had them wait in there. They all looked frazzled. It went on for hours. Ashley was opening the doors for Jenny when an explosion rocked the TARDIS. The Doctor was barely able to get them out in time. Jenny closed the door gently, and Ashley was barely able to see the tremors that shook the woman's shoulder. They'd just been talking to the survivors.

There had been twelve people left. They all had suits on because they'd been outside repairing damage a stray meteoroid had done to the station. When they went back in, everyone was apparently gone. That was when they noticed that a few of them had two shadows… Someone had been shouting hysterically in the background, screaming that they'd blow the station up. It looked they'd done it. Jenny went back to the console, and picked up the walkie-talkie just as the screen changed. Station 56: offline. Everyone lagged for a moment, and Jenny looked up at them. "What's the matter with you louts? There are still others out there! Get moving!" Ashley almost smiled. Jenny had her father's passion.

More hours passed, and the mood lightened. The survivor count was getting higher and higher at each station. One knew what was happening, and got the crew out in time, losing only 5 members out of 342. The other had accidentally ejected the cargo hold, and the books were lost. Even the Vastha Nerada wouldn't be able to withstand being out in space. Some just hadn't been attacked at all. Of course, there were the four stations that had no survivors. Jenny shrieked each time they came across one. One time they had been so close, so impossibly close. There was one survivor, a little girl. She'd come to visit the station on a school field trip with her class. Those children were brilliant, and the children who went to that school typically went to work in the Comity, on the planet or on the stations.

Jenny had just boarded the station when she heard her scream. After that Jenny said not a word to anyone. She went from station to station, gathering the survivors. Finally, after hours and hours, she was done. The TARDIS had never held so many people before. The Doctor looked at his daughter, worried, and she gave him a relieved smile. That part was done. The smile fell. Now came the real work. First they went to each respective planet and returned the people. Then Jenny collapsed against the console with an electronic pad and began making a list of those lost. There would need to be a massive memorial held. Families notified. Compensation would be demanded. An explanation. Jenny snapped the stylus she was holding when she realized what would end up happening. They'd blame her. She was in charge of E.C.H.O., she was the head of directors on the Comity. No matter what really happened, she'd be blamed. Jenny muttered something in French and sunk to the floor.

The Doctor went immediately over to her, holding her hands while she cried. Only Macon was left on board out of all the survivors. He looked like he wanted to go comfort her himself, but Ashley and Amy blocked him from her with a scowl on their faces. The Doctor raised his daughter's face, and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I knew all of them." She finally said softly. He titled his head. "I welcomed each and every one of them into E.C.H.O…. I knew their names, their dreams. I can't do this."  
"You don't have to. Let me take care of it." Jenny paused to consider, then shook her head, rising. She wiped at her eyes, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.  
"I've got to do it myself." She said. She turned back to the console, giving everyone her back. The Doctor stood for a moment, watching her, then glanced at Macon.  
"Get out of my TARDIS." He said, turning away and disappearing into the recesses of the ship. Ashley glanced between Macon and Jenny, and, noticing the smallest of nods, went and opened the door for him. Macon sighed, and walked out into the sunshine.

(Author's Note: Sorry for my outburst. I will keep my Author's Notes to a minimum, and will not let my emotions affect the story. I do apologize for the abrupt ending, however. As I said, my motivation went flying out the window.)


	39. Chapter 39

"If you think I am going to even go within a ten foot radius of her, you're insane." Ashley muttered to the Doctor. They were sitting together, watching Jenny from a distance. Her father had decided that it would do everyone some good to just take the day off, especially after what happened. They were on the planet of Gideon, a place best known for its rehabilitating qualities. The whole planet was basically one giant park. Amy and Rory went off for a stroll, hand in hand, and Jenny was sitting by herself by a pond. Her electronic notepad in hand, voice recorder in the other, she worked diligently, not paying any attention to anything else. The Doctor was visibly worried about her, and with good reason, too. He'd just gotten his daughter back, and of course Fate decided to be cruel and do this to her. Nobody should ever have to go through so much pain in their life. He gave Ashley a beseeching look.

"Please?" He begged her. "She likes you. Couldn't you go and…Talk about girl stuff?" Ashley gave him an unimpressed look. That would probably be the last thing she'd be able to get Jenny to talk about.

"You are her father. It's your job to comfort her." She pointed out. He shifted uncomfortably.

"I know. It's just- It had been so long and, well…" He trailed off into silence. He had never been able to be much of a father to her. Even at that point in Time, it had been so long since he'd had his children. While he still felt some of the paternal instincts, he was also unsure. Ashley nodded in understanding. She got up and stretched, pausing for a moment. Jenny just sort of…Oozed sadness. As much as Ashley liked her, she didn't really want to be in her path. With a final exasperated glance down at the Doctor, she casually worked her way over to the woman.

Ashley stood behind her for a moment, looking around, and then she sat down next to Jenny. She looked over her face, then at the notepad. There was a long list of names on the screen, and it appeared that Jenny was marking who survived, and who didn't. What a gruesome task. "So," Ashley began, stretching her arms straight out behind her and leaning back on them. "It's pretty here, isn't it?" Jenny didn't appear to hear her. She was mouthing something, and picked up another electronic notepad that was resting in the grass next to her. Jenny quickly flipped through some pages, and typed in something on the first notepad. Ashley felt awkward, and cleared her throat. The chestnut-haired woman jerked, and looked up at the girl.

"I'm sorry…What were you saying?" She asked, forcing a weary smile onto her face. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, and her skin was flushed. Ashley recognized the look from her father. Every once in a while, he got in over his head, and the stress would keep him up at night, working hard until the point of near exhausted collaspse.

"I said it's nice out." Ashley said. Jenny looked up, cracking her neck.

"Oh, yes. It's very nice…" Ashley had a sneaky feeling that before that moment, her friend hadn't even realized where they were. Jenny unfolded her legs, and stretched them out in front of her, arching her back. She got up slowly, wincing as a normal blood flow resumed, and proceeded to stretch her body out. How long had she simply been sitting there? Putting her hands on her hips, Jenny closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Ashley watched as she stood there without opening her eyes for a moment, letting the gentle wind blow her bangs around. "My legs are restless." Jenny said abruptly, surprising Ashley. "Do you want to go for a jog with me?" A smile slowly worked its way across Ashley's face. That was more like it.

"Sure! I'm not too good at running, but I'll try to keep up." She said. Jenny chuckled softly.

"That's fine. How about we just go for a stroll?" Ashley couldn't help but look relieved at the offer, earning another chuckle from her friend. "You'd think that you'd be better at running, traveling with the Doctor and all." She quipped. Ashley grimaced.

"I think I'd be better off as a companion if we only had to briskly walk, instead of run." She muttered. This time Jenny laughed outright. Ashley momentarily felt the warm glow of triumph, and she cast a glance over at the Doctor. He appeared to be fiddling with his Sonic Screwdriver, but when he noticed her gaze, he aimed it at her, and gave her a nod. Ashley nodded back at him, and turned to Jenny just as the woman removed her hand from the inside of her jacket. She blinked, and looked around, confused. "Hold up." She checked under her feet to see if she'd stepped on the notepads. "Where'd your stuff go?" Jenny grinned, and patted her jacket.

"In here." She said. "I've got bigger on the inside pockets." Ashley gaped at her in disbelief.

"There's no way! How'd you end up figuring that out?" Jenny titled her head from side to side, starting to walk.

"Oh, I just eventually figured it out. It's not too hard, once you get a good grip on physics." Ashley rolled her eyes, walking alongside Jenny.

"Yeah, well, I'm never going to be able to do that then." Jenny gave her a mock consolatory pat on the shoulder. They walked on in silence for about a moment, just taking in the serene beauty of Gideon. The planet seemed almost too perfect. The grass was green and trimmed neatly so that when the wind blew, it rolled like waves, but it wasn't too long so that it looked unkempt. The sky was a clear blue with only cottony wisps of clouds, and the sun was at a nice angle where it wasn't hard to see and it wasn't too hot. It warmed you pleasantly, like a warm blanket fresh from the dryer. There were little different sorts of resting places. There was the fish pond, with a small rippling waterfall that was fed from the stream that they crossed over on a tiny wooden footbridge. There was a grove of trees, which seemed to be a wide assortment of fruits and nut tree, and occasionally a large shade tree here and there. It was all just so very relaxing.

"So, Jenny." Ashley said after a bit of walking. She looked down at her friend with a questioning look. "What had you been up to all this time? I mean, before we found you." Jenny looked back up, and appeared to be gathering her story.

"Well…Let's see. How much do you already know?" She asked. "Has Dad talked about me?" Ashley chuckled awkwardly.

"Not exactly…Hey, let's go sit down on that bench for a bit, okay? I'll tell you my story first over there." Jenny arched an eyebrow at her, but changed course. Once seated, Ashley turned to face the Doctor's daughter, and began telling her story, beginning way back when she first started noticing the weird things at home in her own world all the way to when she was reunited with the Doctor at the Ponds' house. Jenny took it all in stride.

"So that's how you recognized me…" She mused. Ashley nodded. "Okay then. Well, I guess it's my turn. So after I Messaline, I traveled around for a year on my own, just having a ball and seeing all I could. Then my ship crashed, and while I was taking a break to fix it, I heard someone talking about the Doctor. I realized I knew nothing about him, so after my ship was working again, I started following him. I basically just learned what he did, met his past friends, and tried to catch up with him. Then I got sidetracked by Macon." Ashley chuckled, and Jenny gave her a look. "Yes, like that! Your mind is in the gutter." She giggled.

"Anyway, Macon is brilliant. This whole solar system was going to ruin. The inhabitants treated their worlds horribly, and they were dying. So together we started Environmental Concern Health Organization." Jenny paused when she saw the look on Ashley's face, and burst out laughing. "Come on! You try thinking of a name that would spell out echo and also fit the parameters." Ashley just shrugged. "Well, for a long time I worked with him, and then, well, it started." She fell silent. "I sent out an emergency signal, and he answered." She laughed bitterly. "All that time, and it only took a little emergency signal to get his attention. Of course he would come to help." She shrugged herself. "So that's it." Ashley nodded slowly.

"I see… So what you were doing up there was some sort of environmental restoration thing?" She asked. Jenny tilted her head.

"In a way, yes. You see, the damage was really severe. I've spent the last decade doing cleanup. We're basically taking all the junk out and recycling it. You won't believe how much waste there was. The stations were forty five percent reused metals." She seemed very exasperated with the whole affair.

A minute passed in silence and then Jenny yawned greatly. "Oh, boy, am I ever tired. I have so much to do still…" Ashley patted her shoulder.

"You should go home and get some rest." She said. "It'll still be there when you get back." Jenny winced, but agreed. They worked their way back to the Doctor, and once Amy and Rory came back, they departed for Jenny's home. They landed in the street in front of a little cottage type home out in the countryside, and as Jenny stepped out of the TARDIS, the front door to the house opened. Macon stood there uncomfortably, watching and waiting. Jenny stiffened and then turned back around

"Maybe I should stay with you." She faltered. The Doctor chuckled, and hugged her.

"Go home, Jenny." He smoothed her bangs back. "He's sorry." She looked like she didn't want to forgive him, but one shy glance over her shoulder at him made her expression soften. Giving her father an appreciative smile, she turned, and basically ran to Macon. He met her with wide arms, and they embraced before going inside. The Doctor stood there for a moment, staring longingly at the house before he smiled to himself and closed the door to the TARDIS.

X

Later that night, Ashley emerged from her room to discover the Doctor drifting around the TARDIS console, trailing his fingers lightly over the controls. She stood at the head of the steps before approaching him. "Are you okay?" She asked him.

"I'm fine." His reply was immediate, but distracted. She wasn't impressed.

"I'm fine, too." She leaned against the guard rail. The Doctor paused in his pacing to look at her, then shook his head before resuming. An awkward silence ensued. "You know, Doctor…" Ashley began. He paused again, and looked at her from the other side of the console. "You're a good man." He looked confused at the sudden compliment. "I mean it! You saved all those people along with Jenny. Without you, they might all be dead." He took it in silently.

"Jenny's a good person, too." Ashley continued. "She's taking on so much right now. She could always just run away, but she's facing it head on. It's admirable." She gave her friend a smile. "I think she got it from her dad." She nodded in affirmation to herself. "You know, I'm sorry for freaking out on you lately…Everything is just happening so fast…I've been overwhelmed. You're an amazing person, and probably my closest friend." The Doctor smiled at her.

"Thank you, Poole…" His tone was hushed. Ashley's smile brightened.

"Any time."

(Sorry for the delay. I was having a hard time finishing this chapter.)


	40. Chapter 40

How do you describe the feeling of being completely aware of everything happening around you, yet not being in control of your body? Of watching and hearing and feeling your life being lived, yet having no say in it? Where all you can do is standby, internally screaming with not a single noise escaping your lips? Where you have to watch the people you grew up with, people you've laughed with, cried with, people you loved, falling one by one as your enemies advance. Killing. Exterminating.

It's horrible, so horrible. It's wrong; it's a violation of your very being. All you want to do is turn and run to them, run away, run ahead. You just want to do something! You can't just stand by as the ranks advance, each man and woman marching to their inevitable death in a war that no one can possibly win… The blood mixing in with the crimson robes, the explosions deafening, everything becoming just a pointless blur of death and horror. All you can notice is what's lacking, the lack of the golden glow that promises a fresh start. It's not there! They're not coming back! They're dying, the Daleks and Time Lords both, and it's horrible, carnage. Suddenly your feet are working but you're not running to aid, running to fight, to die. You're running away! Away in your box, crying and dying inside as you have no choice but to stop it all before it spreads into the universe… Someone is calling your name, but you can't go and help them…

Ashley bolted up in bed, tears streaming down her face. The Doctor was leaning over her, his hands on her shoulders. He'd been shaking her. She trembled all over, her hair sticking up all over the place from tossing and turning. "Ashley, you're alright! It was a bad dream, just a dream." He said soothingly. She rubbed her face with the backs of her hands, wiping her eyes and nose.

"That wasn't a dream." She sobbed, pulling her knees up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them and started rocking. "That was a memory." It came out as a gasp before a wave of hysteria washed over her. The Doctor sat down on the bed, and pulled her close.

"Tell me what you saw." He said softly, rubbing her back. It took her a moment before she could calm down enough to speak.

"They kept dying." She whispered. "I couldn't help them, and- And!" Her voice caught. "I ran away! Why did I run away?" Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. "I could have helped them, they didn't have to die! I- Oh!" She gripped her hair in her fists, hyperventilating. "All the red and gold, the glass was broken. God, they're like mice! You can kill them and kill them but they just keep coming back!" The Doctor couldn't understand what she was saying, she was just rambling. Something was nagging him in the back of his mind, though.

"Who was dying?" He asked her desperately. "Who couldn't you help?" She twisted to look at him, her eyes hollow and red from crying.

"Them. My people. My family." She turned away, and lay on her side, clutching a pillow to her chest. "The Time Lords. I killed them all."

X

Time had passed. Ashley had no idea how long she'd been away from her own universe. It was just so hard to keep proper track of time when traveling in a time traveling police box. The Doctor worked himself ragged in trying to find a way to get her home, but was pretty apparent in Ashley's eyes that the Doctor had no idea how to get her home. She supposed that she should be frantic, but actually…It was fine with Ashley. It was absolutely completely fine with her. At first she was surprised she felt that way, but as time went by, the more comfortable she felt traveling with the Doctor, and it was harder each day to imagine going back to her old life. She couldn't imagine her father dealing with her nightmares like the Doctor did. Maybe it had been a year since she was filming the Doctor Who episode, but she wasn't sure. Amy and Rory eventually went home again to get everything in order, leaving Ashley the choice of going with them again or staying with the Doctor.

She chose to stay with the Doctor. She had nothing against the Ponds, but after what happened the last time in their home, she didn't feel too comfortable. So he spent a lot of time trying to get her to have fun. Her life was nicely crammed with hardly any space between one adventure and another. Once she went to the 1920s and partied in fine style, as if she'd fallen into the Great Gatsby. Another time she watched a star whale migration with the Doctor, their legs hanging over the edge of the TARDIS while they drank hot cocoa. The strange things that had affected her before came back full force. The Doctor discovered her in the middle of the night intently reading his control panels, which were entirely in Galiffreyan. Apparently she woke up from a dream, having a strange…Feeling. It was hard to describe. She just knew that she had to do a certain thing, and get them out of there. The Doctor had just reached her when she'd landed the TARDIS, on her own, on a planet. If they'd stayed up in space even a second later, they would have been vaporized by a strange wave of light that passed through.

She'd get dreadful headaches and the four beat pounding would fill her ears. More often than not she'd bolt up screaming with memories, asleep or not. She remembered a war, leaving people behind, a boy dying because he knew her…A gold star. The Doctor would end up holding her hands to prevent her from pounding on her head. He was worried about her. The strange things got worse and worse, and it showed. She lost interest in a lot of things, she hardly ate or slept. She spent a lot of her time in her room, and even began turning down chances to explore with him. The funny thing was, she didn't appear any different. From the rate that she declined at, she should have lost weight; dark circles would have shadowed her eyes. A cold anger began brewing inside of him. He had a hunch, and nine out ten times, it was correct. So one day he knocked on her door, and entered. Ashley was sitting in one of the chairs, a throw blanket covering her. She was reading a Dickens novel, and hardly heard him enter. He sat across from her, and watched her, his arms draped across his legs. "Ashley." He finally said. She looked up at him her eyebrows raised. "I'm going to visit Jenny. Do you want to come with me?" A smile graced her face for the first time that week.

"Yeah I do! I was just thinking about her this morning." She said, bookmarking her page and throwing the blanket aside. The Doctor felt relieved.

"Good. I'll go get us landed." He said, leaving the room so she could get presentable.

While she was changing, he went on ahead of her. He landed the TARDIS, and went out; knocking on the door of the house he'd left her daughter at. Jenny opened the door, a blonde again for the moment. She lit up at the sight of him, but he didn't give her a chance to hug him. He grabbed her wrist, and pulled her out of the house, going to the side of the house to talk to her in private. He spoke quickly in her ear in low tones, and her face became serious. After a moment, she nodded gravely. "Will do." She said, slipping into the backyard to a shed. He watched her, rolled his shoulders, and fixed his bow tie, adopting a cheery demeanor. He got back to the TARDIS just as Ashley stepped out, having brushed her hair and teeth and put shoes on.

"She's in the back." The Doctor said brightly. "Let's go see what she's up to." He offered his arm to her, and she took it with a giggle.

They crossed through the house, greeting Macon. The man looked happier than the last time they'd seen him, so Ashley supposed they'd made up. He led them to the back door, and as they passed a hall, Ashley saw the door at the end ajar. From the corner of her eye she noticed the tail end of a crib, and a wall half painted yellow. Her mouth gaped, and looked up at Macon in shock. He quickly held a finger to his lips, glancing at the Doctor. He hadn't noticed, too absorbed in all the certificates on a wall in his daughter's name. Ashley nodded, bouncing excitedly on her feet. She was feeling better now that she had such great news to keep a secret!

They went and found Jenny tinkering with something in the shed. Jenny looked up as they came in, and greeted the Doctor and Ashley like she hadn't seen them in a long while. "What are you working on?" Ashley asked, peering curiously at the…Thing on the table. Jenny beamed.

"It's a generator!" She said, sounding immensely proud. "It's for ECHO. We're having trouble on a planet with fuel for everything, and this a prototype for a generator run on…Wait for it." She whipped a rag off of the top of a bucket. "Ta da! Compost!" Ashley cringed away from the smell.

"Ewww!" She whined. "I certainly hope you make it smell better!" The Doctor and Jenny both laughed.

"Well, obviously. The air already stinks there." Jenny chuckled. "I've a filter for the byproducts, and…" She began pointing out all the different things that it did. Ashley watched her intently, amazed by it. If only Earth had one of these! It'd greatly help with all the dumps. "Hey." Jenny said, poking Ashley in her cheek to get her attention. She looked up at her. "Want to give it a whirl?"

Ashley's mouth gaped, and she nodded quickly. "Uh, yeah!" She grinned. Jenny handed her a scoop, and pointed at a cap at the top of the generator.

"Get a good solid scoop of the compost, and pour it through that hole. Get the cap on quick, and press…" She pointed at a blue button. "This. Flick the switch, and back up and watch the magic!" Ashley did as told, and flicked the switch on. The generator started humming, and smoke began pouring out of a pipe.

"Uh…" Ashley looked at it curiously. "That's a weird shade of green…Should it be doing that?" Jenny looked worried.

"…No." She reached out to flick the switch, but something clanked inside the generator, and it bucked on the table. "Hit the deck!" She shouted, jumping back. They barely had time to before the whole contraption blew, filling the shed with a putrid green gas. They fumbled out the door, hacking and gagging.

Ashley swayed in the fresh air, the world spinning. "Oh, I don't feel so good." She muttered. Jenny and the Doctor looked equally disoriented. Jenny leaned over, resting her hands on her knees. Her forehead creased, concentrating hard on…Something. Her shoulders shook, and she let out a very unladylike belch of green smoke. She began coughing afterward, and stumbled into the house to wash her mouth out. A second later the Doctor did the same, his burp coming out rather suddenly. It was so comical that Ashley started to crack up, but she started coughing immediately after, leaving her winded. The Doctor was making strange faces, scraping his tongue with his teeth to get any residue off. "Am I supposed to burp, too?" Ashley gasped. She was faintly reminded of fizzy lifting drinks. He shook his head.

"It's a Time Lord thing." He muttered. "I need to run a scan on you to make sure it won't harm you or anything. A glass of tomato juice will help, too. Would you come with me?" He asked. She nodded. She followed after him to the front again, weaving in a drunk way, and entered the TARDIS. He had her stand in a certain spot, and the TARDIS ran a full scan on her. He looked at the results and frowned. He knew it. He shook his head, and pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver. Ashley titled her head.

"Doctor?" She grew wary. "What are you doing? Do I have to burp after all?" He aimed the Screwdriver at her, and turned it on.

"I'm sorry I had to trick you, Ashley." He said. She was so trusting of him. "Fool me once, okay. Twice, I'll be upset. But three times…" He shook his head, and adjusted something. The sound of the Sonic filled her ears, and it felt like her whole body was vibrating. Her eyes widened; her mouth barely open enough to protest when she melted into a pool of skin color liquid. The Doctor leaned heavily against the control panel, seething. Oh, Poole. What had they done with you?

X

Ashley's eyes flew open. The world around her was much too bright. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she raised her head. She was in some sort of capsule. Her arms were strapped down. Hair was in her eyes, and she shook her head, spitting strands of hair away. Her hair was way too long! What on earth..? She looked down at the clean white uniform she was wearing, and panic started to fill her. This was way too familiar. The only thing missing was an unsightly bump on her stomach. Ashley focused on listening, and only heard a faint hum. She yanked on her arms, and pain raced up them. Her wrists were rubbed raw. Apparently she'd done that before. She let her head fall back onto the pillow, thinking, and the first thing she did was let out a loud burp.

It shocked her into silence. That was right; she had just been in the TARDIS with the Doctor. She could barely imagine the taste of the gas, but her mouth didn't feel like it had. Footsteps approached her, and something clicked outside the capsule. The top opened, and the woman with the eye patch smiled down at her. "My, my." She chided softly. "That was rude. At least say excuse me." Her lips, covered with the too dark lipstick, curved into a wicked, triumphant smile.


	41. Chapter 41

Ashley sat sullenly in the room she'd been placed it. It was much too white. White walls, white floor, white bed, white door… The light was white… Even the outfit she been given to wear was white. It reeked of disinfectant, like a hospital, and it was cold. The air conditioner had been running ever since she was placed in it, and while it at first made her feel a little less claustrophobic after being in the capsule, it eventually made her shiver. The clothes she was wearing were just a simple short sleeves shirt and long pants. They almost looked like the clothes a nurse would wear. She hadn't been given shoes or a jacket, and the bed in the room lacked a blanket, so there was no relief from the chill. So she huddled behind the foot of the bed with the pillow she took from it pressed against her, staring at the wall.

Nobody came to visit her except for the man who brought her dinner. The food was bland, a bowl of plain oatmeal, a bowl of fruit that all tasted the same, and a glass of lukewarm milk. The man who brought her the food had stayed with her while she ate, standing to the side of the door and waiting her to finish. While she ate she tried to get him to talk to her, but he stared blankly past her like a British guard. She gave up shortly. The milk tasted chalky and too sweet, and soon after drinking it Ashley felt heavy and incredibly tired. She swayed, realizing it was drugged, and as she collapsed the man darted forward and caught her. He carried her unconscious form out of the room and down the hall to another room.

The woman with the eye patch was waiting for them. The man lay Ashley down on a metal table, and secured her wrists and ankles to it with leather straps. It would be a good while before she woke up, but after her last amazing escape, the woman was going to take no chances. She turned her head and nodded at a man in a white coat. He nodded back and taped wires on Ashley's forehead. He activated some sort of device, and after a moment Ashley began to tremble. The wires were sending some sort of pulse into her. Her brain was changing with every pulse, memories being planted, lessons being learned. The woman watched for a while, and another white coat approached her.

"She's ready." He said. The woman tilted her head, and smiled.

"Finish it."

The man nodded, and went to another device. He took up a syringe, and looked at the other white coat. He turned off the first device, and Ashley stopped shaking, residing into unconsciousness again with a whimper. The man with the needle inserted it into Ashley's neck, and slowly injected the fluid in it. This was to make sure she would not feel anything. The other man went to a container on a counter, and pulled out a metal container. Golden light glowed from where the lid met the container. He pulled out another syringe from the container, and the light swirled inside of it. Holding it carefully, he moved the fabric of Ashley's shirt aside so her skin was bare, and, shifting uncomfortably, swung his arm up in an arch and plunged it into her heart. He pushed the plunger down, and the light disappeared into her.

Ashley's eyes snapped open, the light shining in them. She fought her restraints, sweat beading on her. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp, and she tossed once more before laying still. She could have been sleeping. The woman with the eye patch brushed her bangs away from the girl's eyes, and smiled. She was ready.

X

The Doctor was frantic. They'd taken Ashley from him, just like they'd taken Amelia and Melody. He had no idea how the girl played any part in their plot to kill him. From what had been happening as of late, he was scared; scared that he wasn't alone again only to be become so again. The last dream Ashley had really spoken about spooked him to his very core. It sounded so like the nightmares that haunted him. Could it be..? No, it was impossible. She came from a different reality; one where he was fictional. If she could come from there to here, however, who's to say she hadn't gone from here to there? Anything was possible in a way.

It also wasn't impossible for a man to regenerate into a woman. He'd known a few who'd done so. It was embarrassing, but just a fact of life. Huge age jumps weren't impossible, either. Even his own River had gone from a child to a toddler, from a teen to a middle aged woman. Could it be? The thought made his palms sweat. Jenny had walked in right after he'd exposed the trick, and she'd put her hand on his back. They were in it together. Amy and Rory were still on their own, they were having a rocky spot in their relationship…He'd give them time. No need to stress them anymore. The Doctor rested his head against the doors of the TARDIS, pausing in his pacing circle around the console.

He'd been unable to trace her. She was out there someplace in the vast universe all alone. Jenny was down below in his swing, gently drifting back and forth. "Dad?" She called up. He glanced behind himself then resumed leaning against the door.

"What?"

"I've got a question."

"Hm?"

"Why do you have my pager?" It took him a minute to understand. He turned, and looked at the console where it'd been before.

"Uh…" He couldn't think of a clever lie.

"Hold up. Why do you have a copy of it?" He could hear her poking around at it. "Oh my…" He swung around and dropped below. "This is from…Oh." She looked up at him with raised eyebrows. The Doctor groaned. Now it was set in stone.

"We found it in a storage room…You got it into the TARDIS somehow." Jenny studied it for a moment. She got up, and went to wander around the ship. He watched her pass, completely absorbed in the device. He turned and ruffled his hair once she was out of sight. Wandering sounded like a good idea.

He landed the TARDIS and flung the doors open. He'd ended up in some neighborhood in America, he could tell that much. He went down the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets. It was late afternoon in the summer, and the sun warmed his collar. A door he passed opened, and two teenage girls' voices reached him. "Nora, you didn't!" A girl squealed. Giggles ensued, but the Doctor ignored it.

"I did! I asked Mike out!"

"You're shameless!"

"I learned it from the best."

"I know not to ask a guy out!" More giggling; and two teenage girls went jogging past the Doctor. The girl with short brown looked over her shoulder and waved.

"Good evening!" She called, turning back around. The Doctor paused. He'd seen that girl before. Where, though?

It hit suddenly. She was this universe's version of Ashley. He'd also heard his Ashley talk about her best friend Nora before. He looked over his shoulder, and saw the man he's seen at the pizza parlor all that while ago talking to a woman who looked quite a bit like the girl who'd passed him. It had to be her mother. The Doctor sighed. Ashley had also told him that her mother had died in a car accident. Why did the TARDIS land him here? It certainly didn't make him feel any better. He turned and sulked back into the box, closing the doors behind him. The Doctor sighed, and climbed the stairs to the console. He leaned on it, and began thinking. What could he do? Jenny had done a loop and was just disappearing out of sight again, still completely engrossed in her future device.

Suddenly the lights went dark, and he heard Jenny give a surprised shout. The door bolted, and the cloister bell began tolling. He froze, listening intently. They were in danger. From what, exactly? He called for Jenny, and she ran back to him. "What's going on?" She asked.

"The TARDIS is, we are, in danger." He said, turning around. His control was limited, and all he was able to do was get the TARDIS up into the Time Vortex. Other than that, nothing.

"In danger? Of what? From what?" Jenny looked around anxiously.

"I have no idea." The phone on the console began ringing, and the Doctor and his daughter exchanged a look. Slowly he reached out and picked up the phone, holding it to his ear.

"…Hello?" He inquired. There was a burst of static, and a voice came through, sending shivers down his spine.

"Silence…Doctor." He near about slammed the receiver down when the static cleared and another voice came on.

"Doctor? Doctor! Are you there?" Staring at it in shock, the Doctor's mouth hung open slightly. "Doctor, can you hear me? Please!"

"Ashley!"

Author's Note: A short chapter, I know. I was having trouble writing. The pace will certainly pick up, though!


	42. Chapter 42

"Hello? Hello, are you there? Doctor, answer me!" Ashley's voice was panicked. The Doctor clutched the phone, mouth agape.

"Ashley? Poole, where are you!" He demanded. She laughed in a hysterical way, perhaps so relieved to hear his voice after so long.

"I don't know!" She laughed again, sounding like she was about to break down. "They've got me, Doctor. You've got to come get me!"

"Who've got you?"

"Them! The woman with the eye patch; the Silence! Please! I've gotten out of my room, but they're looking for me and I don't have long!" Now she let out a sob. "You have no idea what they've done to me…" He briefly thought about the last time they'd captured him, and he decided he had a pretty good idea.

"Ashley, listen to me. You'll have to get off now so you can go hide, but don't hang up! I'll trace the signal to you, and I'll be there as fast as I can." The Doctor heard her hold back a sniffle, and could imagine her nodding.

"Okay…I'll do that. You hurry, okay?" He stood up tall, his face determined.

"I'll be there before you can miss me." He promised. There was a small laugh, and he heard her set down the phone and move away.

"I've already been missing you." He heard her whisper to herself.

X

"So what's the plan?" Jenny asked as the Doctor hung the phone up and darted around the console.

"No plan." She gave her father a confused look.

"I thought you said…" He nodded so quickly that his hair flopped into his face; too busy doing whatever he was doing to really reply.

"I know." She resisted the urge to hit him upside the head. She followed him around and around the console as he did this and that. Jenny finally had enough of trying to get him to talk to her, and stopped following, letting out an exasperated shout and stamping her foot on the ground.

"Dad!" She exclaimed. He paused and looked up at her, startled, his hand on a lever. The Doctor raised his eyebrows at his daughter questioningly. "We can't just go storming in there! You have to have a plan." He looked down for a moment, clearly thinking. After that moment he looked back up at her, determination written all over his face.

"You want a plan? Alright; here's the plan. I'm going to trace the signal back to where ever they're holding Ashley, I'm going to go to where they're holding Ashley, I'm going to rescue Ashley, and then I'm going to find out why they needed her, make sure that they can never do it again, and then I'll have some fun. Good enough?" It was Jenny's turn to raise her eyebrows.

"I suppose." She sighed. He gave her a grin.

"Right then; Geronimo!" He yelled as he yanked down the lever. The TARDIS was jerked into action, and they went spinning through the Time Vortex.

X

Ashley watched with her breath held as feet raced past her hiding spot. She'd managed to pry off the cover for a vent and had slid herself into it, pulling the cover back in place. It was a tight fit, and she realized a year ago she'd never be able to fit. More feet came by, and slowed. Ashley tensed, and then relaxed when the feet passed by. Thinking back to a long time ago, she remembered that day in her room when she'd been disappointed by her physical condition. She suppressed a chuckle. Nothing was unsatisfactory about her body now. How long had she been waiting? 10 minutes? She was getting impatient. Ashley rested her head on her arms, let out a quiet sigh, and perked her head up just in time to hear the TARDIS materializing.

She nearly shouted aloud in relief. People ran back toward it, and in the commotion Ashley slipped out of the vent. She ran as fast as she could, trying not to get caught. While she was doing that, the Doctor threw open the door, wielding his Sonic Screwdriver in front of him, the light blazing. Jenny stepped out behind him, holding an impressive looking gun in her arms. The Doctor had pitched a fit when he saw her with it, but she lightly tapped him on the head with it. It surprisingly didn't hurt. "It's fake." She chuckled with a smirk. Hopefully it would scare the others into surrender. Soldiers with stun guns were ready in front of the door, but they were visibly quailed by the sight of it. Jenny resisted the urge to poke her father in the side and tell him she told him so.

"Where's Ashley?" The Doctor demanded. Glances were exchanged but nobody spoke. "Where is Ashley?!" He nearly shouted. When it looked like nobody was going to reply, Jenny stepped forward and leveled the gun, pumping it.

"You'd better answer." She warned them. A soldier shifted uneasily, and she trained her attention on him. "You! Guy with the unfortunate mustache." Jenny said sharply. "Where is she?" He frowned, and glanced around to see if there was another other individual who she could be addressing. Finally he raised his eyebrows at her.

"What?" He replied gruffly.

"Where's the girl?"

"What girl?" Jenny scowled at him.

"Don't act like an idiot." She paused, and reconsidered. "Never mind; you can't act. Don't be an idiot." She amended. His chest puffed up in annoyance, but she raised the gun and he backed down.

"I don't know anything about any girl." He grumbled. Jenny didn't look impressed.

"Really now?" She slowly grinned at him. "You know what? I think you might have amnesia. So you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to hit you upside the head until you remember." She took a step forward and hefted the gun as if to hit him with the butt of it. He jerked backward.

"There isn't no girl here." He snapped. "Just her." He put emphasis on her as if the word was something special. Jenny arched an eyebrow at him.

"Oh?" The man made a face at her, but said no more. His buddies chuckled amongst themselves. She didn't like it.

Jenny was just about to turn her attention to another man when a commotion near the back drew everyone's attention away. One of the soldiers looked down, and shouted in annoyance when he was shoved aside by somebody. Ashley burst through the crowd, looking disheveled and exhausted, but otherwise alright. She ran right into the Doctor's arms and promptly burst into tears. He exclaimed aloud, giving her a tight hug. "Ashley!" She responded by laughing almost hysterically through her tears, not raising her face from his shoulder. She was almost a good inch taller than she'd been the last time he'd seen her, and her hair was much longer. He had to remind himself that the haircut her doppelganger had gotten didn't actually affect her.

"I knew you'd come for me!" She blubbered. "They kept saying you never would, but I wouldn't give up and finally could call for you! Oh…" She couldn't continue. The Doctor crouched some so he could look her in the eyes.

"I would always come for you." He said, brushing her bangs to the side. She gave him a tearful smile. "How did you know what number to call?" The Doctor asked, suddenly realizing. Ashley blinked at him and then looked down, hiding her face. "Ashley?"

She heaved a heavy exasperated sigh, and stepped back. She whipped her head up, tossing her hair over her should jauntily and wiping the tears from her face. She sneered at him, and he took a step back from her, surprised and confused. "Shoot. I should've thought that through more." Ashley rolled her eyes. Jenny's mouth dropped open in momentary surprised. What was going on? The man she'd been talking to laughed a cruel sounding laugh, and she aimed the fake gun out of habit at him. He stopped laughing abruptly, but the look he gave her made her skin crawl.

"What is going on here?" She demanded of him. "What did you do to her?" The man shrugged nonchalantly, and Jenny was sorely tempted to fire a warning shot at his head. She couldn't, though, and that would tip the rest off that the gun was fake.

"We didn't do nothing to her." He replied, calmly taking a packet out of a pocket on the inside of his jacket. He took a wad of chewing tobacco out of it, crammed it into his mouth, and put the packet away. Jenny wrinkled her nose in disgust. The Doctor was too shocked to react still. "She's just finally showing who she is." Jenny glanced at Ashley for confirmation, denial, anything. The girl simply arched an eyebrow at her and shrugged, still wearing an infuriating smirk. The Doctor finally snapped out of it, and jammed his hands in his pockets.

"What's going on, Poole?" He asked her, trying to make eye contact with her. For the most part she didn't reply and tried to avoid his gaze, but when the sound of heels coming down the hall reached their ears, her eyes snapped to his, startling him. The smirk had faded, and now she gave him a crooked smile.

"You'll see." She mouthed at him. A moment later the woman with the eye patch appeared in the doorway. The Doctor bristled, and he was glad that Amy and Rory were not there with him.

"You! What have you done to her?" He demanded. The woman smiled amiably at him, and walked over to Ashley, the soldiers parting easily to let her pass. Ashley turned at walked over to her, and the woman put a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing at all, Doctor." She stated. "The question is, what have you done to her?" He was confused. The woman continued. "Do you know how long it takes to give up all hope?" She asked him. The question made his blood run cold. "Sometimes it will take only a short time; maybe a month. This young woman is a fighter, though. It took her a whole year before she finally realized that you weren't coming for her." Jenny sucked in her breath, and tensed. The Doctor held a hand out to keep her at bay.

"You know that isn't fair." The Doctor said. "It's only been a week for us." The woman pursed her lips, and made a reprimanding noise.

"Life isn't fair, Doctor. You know that. No excuses."

Ashley let out a low sigh of impatience. "I got him here." She murmured to the woman. "Let's not drag this out." The woman patted her shoulder.

"All in good time." Ashley rolled her eyes. Now that the Doctor studied her, he could tell that she was much older than when she came to this universe. She had to be in her early twenties. Her hair had been styled to make her appear younger, and she'd hidden her face mostly to hide the changes. His eyebrows drew together; he'd been late. Too late.

"Ashley…" He almost begged. "Please. Tell me what's going on." The young woman glanced to the side, and he followed her gaze, noticing for the first time all the Silence standing in a circle around them all. Was it the first time? He would forget the instant he looked away, but it didn't matter. He looked at her to notice her putting an eye patch on. Why would she..? Oh. Right.

"What's going on?" She repeated. "I'll tell you what's going on. I waited. I waited four years for you." It was his turn to suck in his breath, and he felt the reassuring hand of his daughter on his arm. "Five years in total, Doctor, away from my family. I actually believed you'd get me home before too long." Ashley laughed to herself. "Then I prayed every night for three years that you'd come and rescue me. You even got to Amy before even a year was out when they took her."

"Am I not important enough?" She raised her chin defiantly. "You could work your magic for her. Heck, you could even say goodbye to Rose Tyler in another universe. I'm just someone you got stuck with, aren't I?" Emotion made her voice crack, and she had to look down. The Doctor stared at her in disbelief. Is that really what she'd been thinking all that time? "I'm actually glad they got me. They made me realize what an idiot I've been." Ashley broke off into a hysterical laugh. "No wonder you didn't send me back. You knew all along, didn't you? You knew, and didn't see fit to let me know. You've never been too fond of anomalies, have you?" Jenny's hand tensed on his arm. "Let's see. You and your blasted box avoided Jack and ended up at the end of time just to try and get rid of him. You didn't accept Jenny until she proved useful to you, and you didn't even wait long enough for her. You- You didn't even give her a burial." Ashley ran a hand through her hair. "You hate me, too, don't you? You had to, you left me in another bloody reality just because I reminded you too much of your old self." She had adopted a rude tone to her voice.

"Ashley, I have no idea what you're saying." He pleaded with her. "They've messed with your head-" She cut him off.

"No! No, Doctor! They've showed me what I am! I am thankful for that! It's more than you ever did." The young woman glared at him. A slow chill worked its way down his back, and his breath caught in his throat. "Look at me for who I am! I am you! There's nothing you could possibly hate than yourself!" She nearly screamed at him. The Doctor stood stock still, the next words already racing through his head, thundering in his ears and terrifying him.

"I am the Metacrisis!"


	43. Chapter 43

Time stopped for the Doctor. There was no way, no way that he was now her, standing there in front of him. It didn't work that way. There was no possibility of the metacrisis being able to regenerate; he'd had only one heart! He was only part Time Lord. He was practically human! This had to be some trick, a cruel trick being played on him to catch him off guard. It worked. He was stunned, shocked, horrified. What had been done to that poor girl? That girl who had trusted him so whole-heartedly since the very beginning? Her trust in him had been artificial, based only off of the television show that portrayed his life. Even he made mistakes; even he can be late. Unable to help, perhaps even unwilling would describe it. Now he was too late to help her. The damage was obviously done. They'd twisted her mind and corrupted her heart. She thought she was a man who was locked away in another reality! There was no way he'd be able to open a pathway into this reality, let alone Ashley's. For all he knew, and he knew it had to be true, John Smith was dead. The same thing would have happened to him that would have happened to Donna Noble. Both were human with the mind of a Time Lord. It wasn't possible. Only John didn't have him there to erase his memories to prevent him from… That had been plaguing him ever since that day.

Still. How would they know about that? Had they been following him all this time? Or had they gone back in time and learned? How had they taken all his memories and worked them into Ashley's mind? The fact that they'd been able to get this far terrified him. All of this trouble, all of that work, just to kill him? Why didn't they just hire a sniper to take him out? Did they really have to drag an innocent young girl into this mess? This was more than just a mission to have Silence fall. It was a game, a game that they weren't going to give up until they won, no matter what it took. By now he'd willingly sit down for them if he could just erase all of the damage that had been done. The look that Ashley was giving him was so filled with hate; it was like looking into a mirror. Underneath all that hate he knew there'd be sadness, a deep loathing that would eat away at her until she could no longer handle it. When he looked at her he could imagine that girl who had just been dropped into a world she dreamed about, only to find it becoming a nightmare. All of the steam that had been driving her suddenly ran out, and as he watched her, her posture slumped, and he could see moisture well up in her visible eye. Ashley turned away from him and faced the woman.

"I've done as you asked." She spoke wearily. "I cooperated with you, I tricked him into coming here, and I betrayed him. Do as you want, and do not forget; you promised me." The woman smiled at Ashley, her pride at finally reaching checkmate fairly exuding off of her.

"I did. You will have it once this is all done." She replied. What had she promised her? A way home, perhaps? Two soldiers, this time each armed with some sort of laser gun, flanked the Doctor, gripping him firmly by each arm. He hardly resisted. He just stared off after Ashley in numb shock as she left the room. Jenny let out an exclamation of protest as she was roughly yanked away from him, and she called for her father as he was led away. The Doctor looked over his shoulder at her numbly, and the look on her face as she struggled to get free tore at him. She looked horrified that he was not putting up a fight. Why was he cooperating? The door closed behind them, and he was gone. Jenny stared at the door for a moment, and then shouted at the men trying to drag her out a different door. She twisted, and kicked backward. Her boot collided with a shin, and a man grunted. Yanking her arm up, she sank her teeth into the hand on her upper arm, and the other man let go.

The one she'd kicked tried to take control, but she whipped her head to the side, distracting him and momentarily blinding him with her ponytail. She punched him in the face, and was free. The other men hardly had time to react before she was back in the TARDIS, the door bolted behind her. "Please, get me out of here!" She begged of the old girl. Lights lit up, and levers slid down on their own. They were gone before Jenny even reached the console. The woman with the eye patch was not too bothered with her escape.

"We have who we need!" She shouted to the swarming soldiers. "Get to your stations."

X

Jenny sat underneath the console as the TARDIS flew them back to her home. How it was possible, she had no idea. She was too tired to think too heavily on it, though. The doors flew open, and Macon rushed in. "I'm here." She murmured. He ran to her, and gathered her in his arms.

"Oh, Jenny." He nearly sobbed. "Where did you go? You left without telling me and you've been gone almost a month." She looked at him in shock. He continued on. "After we'd been trying so hard; and just…" He almost couldn't continue. "I was so scared." Jenny squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry. You know how Time travel is…" She gave him a weak smile. It was only then that he noticed her demeanor.

"What's happened?" Macon asked her softly. She stared at him for a moment, but then had to look down.

"Remember how I told you about my father, and how he'd gotten caught up in a plan to have him murdered?" He nodded. "The same people have him again. They've got that girl, too." Macon looked horrified. "I know! It's horrible, Macon." Jenny covered her eyes with her hands.

"They've had her for a while apparently. They- They did something to her, honey; something horrible. She thinks she's the copy of Dad that got locked in the other world." She sobbed once. Macon rubbed her side.

"What can I do to help?" He asked her. Jenny shook her head.

"I don't know. I just don't know. We…" She trailed off, a strange look in her eyes.

"What?"

"There's no way this is going to come to an end peacefully. We need an army." She looked into his eyes. "Do you think you can rally the forces?" He gave her a crooked smile.

"I can do that." They crawled out from under the console, and Jenny leaned against it. Macon looked at her, and she glanced at him.

"What?" She asked.

"You look like your father." Jenny chuckled weakly. All of a sudden she jolted forward and went running down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Macon called after her, surprised.

"I saw something!" She called back. He let out a sigh, and went outside to make his calls.

X

The Doctor sat slumped in the corner of his cell. So far nothing had been done to him, but he was already feeling beaten. Ashley kept running through his head. He tried desperately to understand, but his mind kept hitting a block. He leaned his head back, and sighed. The door lock beeped, and he glanced to the side just as the door opened. The soldier who typically stood guard outside his door stepped aside, and Ashley came through. She nodded to the soldier, and he closed the door behind her. She stood there for a moment, and then went to the opposite side of the room. She crouched down, her hands dangling between her knees.

"Have you had enough to eat?" She asked him. He just tilted his head, studying her. "What about water? I don't see a jug in here. I'll have them bring it in once I'm gone."

"Why?" He asked her. Ashley tilted her one head in response.

"I don't want you treated badly. Notice how you're not strapped to table right now like the last time?" He winced visibly. She gave him a small smile.

"Why do you care, though? You brought me here to be executed." Ashley looked blankly off behind him for a moment. She blinked, and focused back in on him, giving him the smile again.

"Just because I did that does not mean I want you to be suffering." She stood and left before he could think of anything else to say. True to her word, half an hour later a man came in with water for him. He didn't touch it. Some time passed; maybe a day or so. Once he heard Ashley screaming, and someone shouting at her. He actually heard someone being hit. Someone started shouting again, and this time it sounded like Ashley was the one doing it. The Doctor jumped to his feet; she was swearing in Gallifreyan.

She was upset about being lied to, apparently. Her voice came nearer, and he winced when she kicked the door of him cell, blaming him for something. He settled uneasily back on the ground as her voice got farther away, and eventually a door slammed. He sighed. It was cold in this room. Everything was a sterile white, and it smelled like a hospital. He did not like hospitals, too much death. He'd died in a human hospital once; that had not been fun. Eventually he got tired of sitting in the corner and watching the door, so he went and sat on the bed. No blanket and the pillow was on the floor. He picked it up, and tried fluffing it. He put in under his head, and lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling and tapping the toes of his boots together absently. The Doctor closed his eyes, and waited for something to happen.

(We're getting closer to the end! I'm sort of sad. If you want, though, after we're done here I can make the sequel I've been fiddling with for a while now. What do you say?)


	44. Chapter 44

"Jenny? Jenny, where are you?" Macon called as he walked deeper into the TARDIS cautiously. He almost wished he had a spool of thread to mark where he'd been so he wouldn't get lost; like that story in the human's Greek mythology. A prickle crawled up his neck, and he had to refrain from looking over his shoulder again to make sure nobody was watching him. It was almost like the ship itself was watching him. "Jenny!" He called again, trying to keep the growing discomfort out of his voice.

"In here!" He heard her call back. He found her in a vast library, standing in front of a bookshelf with a thick volume in hand. When he said thick, he didn't mean dictionary wise. He meant more of like the instruction manual for some complex high-tech device that nobody ever read. His eyebrows rose when Jenny pulled another similar book off of the shelf, stacking it on top of the one she had.

"What's that?" Macon asked her. She blew a layer of dust off, and scraped at a charred bit of binding with her nail.

"It's the instruction manual to the TARDIS. I'd seen it when I was wandering around before…" Jenny glanced at him wryly. "Looks like I've got some reading to do." He chuckled.

"I know that you can handle it. Goodness knows that you've already got the entire Encyclopedia Britannia memorized." She punched him in the arm lightly. "I'll go get you some tea… You'll be in here?" She nodded, and went to go sit down in a chair under a lamp. Before Macon left he looked around, and he frowned, looking up the stories. "That's just showing off." He muttered before leaving the room, trying to locate a kitchen.

Jenny studied the cover of the manual. Her father might be irritated at her later, but she'd a feeling he wouldn't be complaining, especially since she was using it to rescue him. If only she could fly the old girl by talking to her like when she made the escape. She had a feeling it wouldn't work though. The humming of the ship was comforting, and she settled into the chair, and opened the book. She read for over an hour, only interrupted when Macon came in with her tea and to occasionally check on her. Eventually she became aware of whispering, and she raised her head. The voices were unintelligible, but there nonetheless. Carefully setting the manual aside, she rose. Jenny edged her way as quietly as she could toward them. Standing with her back against the side of a bookshelf, she took a deep breath and spun around the corner, expecting…Someone. The isle was empty, however, yet the whispering continued. Puzzled, Jenny looked to her left, and saw row after row of bottles.

Her eyebrows furrowed. The labels on them read Encyclopedia of Gallifrey. She picked one up, and pulled out the cork. Voices whirled out, and hastily she corked it again, her skin crawling. That was too creepy for her taste. She put the bottle back, and turned to go back to her chair when she noticed a lone book on a podium. Her curiosity pulled her to it, and she approached it. The History of the Time War? That was what her father had been in, right? The one that destroyed his home… She flipped open the cover, and started skimming through it.

While it was all very fascinating, the more she read the more uncomfortable she became. Her consciousness began screaming at her that she wasn't supposed to be seeing this. Quicker and quicker she flipped through the pages, her eyes flying from word to word, her hearts racing. Suddenly she stopped, seeing a single word on a page, all alone in a little corner. She stared at it as her pulse calmed, hand poised to flip the page. Very solemnly she closed the book, and went to finish the first half of the TARDIS manual, the name tucked into a corner of her mind.

X

The Doctor sat on the bed of his cell, running his hand over his chin, feeling the stubble. He never did like beards. Unfolding his legs he stretched them out in front of him, and as he did the door opened. Ashley came through, smiling brightly. "It's a nice day! Do you want to go for a walk with me?" The Doctor arched an eyebrow at her. She looked a bit self conscious, but shrugged it off.

"I know, we're in space, there is no day or night. They've got a hologram room, though, and it's based off of Earth's weather." She smiled again. "It feels like it just rained after it'd been dry for a while. Come on, talk a walk with me." He didn't seem to be budging, and she pouted at him. "You've been stuck in this room for too long. Even when I wasn't cooperating they let me out to stretch my legs." Ashley held her hand out. The Doctor looked at it, but took it, standing up. "Great!" She enthused. "You'll love it."

A guard waiting outside the door followed a foot behind them as Ashley led the way through the ship to the hologram room. The Doctor thought about how easily she navigated, and again felt a pang of sadness at how long she'd been here. At the door, she punched in a code into a pad, and the guard took up position next to the door after they entered. She'd been right, it was nice outside. They strolled down a path, and after a while Ashley pointed out her favorite spot to sit. It was a stone bench under a large shade tree, and after the Doctor sat on it, Ashley grabbed onto a branch and pulled herself up into the leaves. He twisted to watch her, and narrowly missed being hit in the face with a bundle. Ashley dropped down after it, and gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry." She said as she untied the bundle. It was a red and white checkered picnic blanket, and inside was a few journals, a pen and a couple of pencils, a packet of colored pencils, and a bag of popcorn with some brown globs of something mixed in with them. Ashley spread the blanket down on the grass, and patted a spot next to her for the Doctor to sit down on.

As he got settled Ashley picked up a journal, and clicked open the pen. They sat in silence as she wrote in the journal. "I come out here as often as I can." She remarked suddenly, startling him. She hadn't even looked up from her writing. "It's really quite nice. After a bit I adapted it so there's different sorts of environments. Further down there's a beach." He nodded, but didn't reply. She reached over and grabbed the bag of popcorn, snapping it open. "Do you want some? It has Milk Duds mixed in. It was a favorite of mine back home." She munched on some, and wrinkled her nose. "They never could get the flavor of Dr Pepper right..." Offering the bag to the Doctor, Ashley smiled at him like everything was normal. He felt a pang of sadness as he took a handful.

"It's good. I never thought of combining them." He remarked after chewing on some thoughtfully.

"I know, right? My dad showed me it…" It was like she suddenly remembered herself, and her expression grew dark. "That is, Mr. Poole did…" The Doctor winced and looked away.

The silence that followed was extremely awkward, but finally the Doctor glanced back at Ashley. She was writing again. "So what are you writing?" He asked.

"It's a diary." Ashley replied. "You can't see it." Her tone was defensive.

"I didn't ask to." His response was simple. Finally she shut the journal, and set it aside. "What's the rest for?" He was referring to the other journals.

"Well, one is for drawing. There's a lot of wildlife in here. The other is for just random writing." He nodded, and slightly reached for one.

"May I?" She just shrugged and lay on her back, closing her eyes. He took it as a yes. The drawings were actually quite impressive. The sketches at the front were obviously amateur and very rough sketches, but as he progressed into the book the better and more realistic they became. Her subjects ranged from birds to animals alien and earth dwelling alike to random people, probably members on the ship. Suddenly Ashley out a sigh, and he looked up from her art to look at the artist. Looking up into the foliage of the tree leaning over her with a wistful expression, her eyes slid over to look at the Doctor. A broad grin slid across her face.

"Come on! Let's have a game of hide and seek, shall we? For old time's sake?" He gave her a weary smile in return, then rose, standing to face the tree with his hands over his eyes. Ashley jumped up with a delighted laugh, and started across the grass.

X

The Doctor's daughter slowly opened her eyes to meet the dawn of a new day. She wished she could stay in bed and sleep more, but she had work to do. How tired she felt…Macon stirred next to her, and she shifted her head to look at him. In the end she'd completely forgiven him for what had happened. What was there to not forgive? He was so sweet, and every person had his weakness. His just happened to be greed. Gently she tapped the end of his nose, and he cracked a sleepy eye open at her. "It's my day off." He reminded her sleepily. Jenny smiled at him, and as she rose from the bed he rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head. By now she had the manual memorized, but for some reason the ship wasn't complying. With much frowning and grumbling and cursing in different languages, she'd given up in trying to get the blasted old thing to cooperate. Well, mostly. Every day she rose at dawn and worked until dusk, reading the manual over and over again, trying to see if there was anything else she'd missed. There was one other book she'd memorized, too, but she knew that if her father knew, he'd be upset. So she'd keep it to herself. It was just so fascinating, though, learning about the mighty race of the Gallifreyans.

Making her way to the kitchen, she grabbed a soft cardigan from the foot of the bed and slipped into it. Drawing it close, she stopped first by the fireplace to set a fire going. After setting a log ablaze, she slowly straightened up. Her walk was a little unsteady these days, her form round under her nightdress. It'd been a long and difficult road getting this far in, and she was proud. Macon and her both, actually. Setting a kettle on the stove to boil water for tea, she rummaged around in the fridge for breakfast. Finally making a bagel with cream cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and lox with kippers, she munched on it as the tea steeped. Jenny watched the brown of the tea slowly color the water with a detached interest. What was she going to do? It had been more than two months. Each day that went by made Jenny more desperate, but what was she to do? Propping her head up on a hand, she looked out the glass door at the blue box in the back yard. Stubborn old girl. Rising, she crossed to the door, and pressed her hand against the cool glass. It was going to be a beautiful day. Macon appeared behind her, and she jumped slightly, giving him a light punch in the arm. "Creeper." She said playfully. He shrugged, still too asleep to real care. He drifted back to the kitchen to make his own cup of tea.

Jenny went and got ready for the day, and as she looked through the hall closet for her shoes, a shadow crossed by the front door, briefly darkening the glass. Looking curiously at the door, she leaned against the wall as she buttoned up a sweater. She couldn't tell what it was, for there was a curtain over the window. A moment later someone kicked the door open, and she screamed.

X

"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred!" The Doctor called. "Ready or not…Here I come." He muttered as he adjusted his bow tie. He knew she headed at first southeast of him, so he started off that way. The park like environment progressed into a forest, and while she may have hidden in there, he couldn't tell. The sunlight that managed to filter down to the ground was very weak and patchy. He found a path, and emerged onto the beach Ashley must have been talking about. This beach looked like a lakeside one, however, and as he progressed down the sand it melted into an ocean beach. Shoe prints led down to the wave line and back up a steep path up the side of a cliff. Sighing, he followed the footprints. She certainly had managed to cover a lot of ground. On top of the cliff was lush grass, with the occasional tree. Further on he could see the grass becoming sparse and turning into sand, and while he wondered how they managed to fit all of this into the hologram programming, he knew that even she did not have enough time to make it much farther than this.

Looking around, the Doctor frowned slightly. There weren't any obvious places to hide here. In fact, there were none. The trees were much too young to climb up and hide in, the grass wasn't tall enough to lie down in, and that was pretty much it. Why would she choose to hide here? Then again, maybe she chose here for a reason. He proceeded cautiously, and paused every few feet to listen. Nothing but the wind…He would have continued on all the way into the desert if he hadn't literally stumbled into her hiding place. You see, the grass, while not tall enough to hide a person, was tall enough to enclose a dip in the ground. It was a few feet deep, and one side of the dip was hollowed out to hide a person, if they were lying down, that was. The Doctor fell on top of Ashley's legs, and they both exclaimed in alarm. They stared at each other in surprise, and actually burst out laughing, just like they had before everything went wrong. "You're crushing me!" She complained.

"Am not!" He retorted, but he got up anyway. A minute later they were both standing in the grass, dusting themselves off. "This is quite a hologram." The Doctor remarked. Ashley had to nod in agreement.

"It is, isn't it? I had a lot of fun with it. I plan on making it even better when I have the chance." He looked surprised.

"You built this? All on your own?" She nodded, and tapped her head.

"It's all in here." She said. "I've had a lot of free time lately and nothing else to do." A moment of passed as they looked at each other in silence.

"I am so sorry." The Doctor said, meaning it with all of his being. She gave him a rueful smile, and had to look away.

"I know. I am, too."

(Reviews and comments make the author write faster and better.)


	45. Chapter 45

A woman with wild blonde hair stood in the doorway, the door banging open and hitting the wall. A gun was raised, and leveled straight at Jenny's forehead. "Where is he?" The woman snarled, advancing with determination. Jenny stumbled back. Behind her she heard something drop to the tile of the kitchen and shatter, probably a mug. Macon appeared behind her a moment later, and he shouted in alarm. Quick as a flash he grabbed her arm, and pulled her back, stepping in front of her protectively. "Where is he?" The woman demanded again, training the gun onto him.

"Where is who?" He asked her, sounding outraged and bewildered. "We have no idea what you're talking about!" The woman scowled at him.

"I know you know." Her tone was dangerous, and Jenny felt a chill crawl down her spine. "You have to know. He was supposed to show up, and he hasn't yet. He is never late." Her scowl deepened. "You've got his box in your backyard, I've seen it! Don't even bother denying it." That was when Jenny did a double-take and studied the woman more closely. She hadn't exactly done that yet, seeing how the woman had kicked down her door and aimed a gun at her.

"Hold up a moment!" She exclaimed, trying to get around Macon. He wasn't exactly willing to let her do that as of yet, so she rested her hands on one of his shoulders and peeped up over it. "I think I know you." That took the woman back a bit. She arched an eyebrow at her.

"Do you?" She asked, lowering her gun slightly.

"Yeah…" Jenny had to think a moment before continuing. "I've seen you a couple of times with him; with the Doctor. That's who you're looking for, right?" River Song cast her eyes down.

"Yes…Yes, I am." She sighed. Tears glistened. "Something bad is going on, I know it." Jenny looked sad.

"You'd better come in and sit." She said, tugging on Macon slightly to get him to move. He complied, but watched the other woman warily. They went to sit by the fireplace, and as Jenny carefully sat down River noticed for the first time her condition.

"Oh. Oh, my. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking…" She hastily apologized. "I'm overwhelmed and…" Jenny held a hand up to stop her.

"Trying situations get the best of all of us." She murmured. "Here's what's going on…Have you met Ashley?" She asked. The woman inclined her head. "The…The woman who kidnapped you has her." River sucked in a breath, and partially rose from her seat. "They did something to her, and she believes herself to be the Doctor's metacrisis. It's…It's bad." She shook her head sadly. There was a moment as River absorbed it all.

"Why is the TARDIS in your back yard?" She asked. Jenny frowned slightly.

"She helped me escape. I would be there with them if it weren't for her. It don't know what would have happened…" She rested her hand on her belly. "I've been trying to go back, but I can't figure out how to work her. I've memorized the whole manual, but still she refuses to work."

River Song rose from her seat, and brushed her dress off. "I can fly her. I will bet anything she won't work because of your condition." Jenny looked mildly irritated.

"I am not about to sit back and not help my father." She huffed. River's eyebrows shot up.

"Your what?" Now Jenny appeared to be a little bit embarrassed.

"My father. I'll have to explain to you later."

"Yes, you will." Jenny rose, and fixed her sweater.

"Well, then, let's go! I am not waiting a minute longer." Macon went over and gripped her arm.

"You are going nowhere, Jenny." He spoke in a low tone. Her face turned red, and her chest puffed out a bit, but he covered her mouth with his hand. "Would your father really want you to risk not only your life, but hers? As if you're going." With a grumble, she stalked off to their bedroom.

"You've ten seconds before I change my mind!" She shouted at him, slamming the door. River Song smiled at Macon, and with a wink at him, pulled open the sliding door and vanished into the TARDIS. "Six!" He heard Jenny shout, and he followed close after the woman. When Jenny heard them sound off, she brushed back the curtain on the window and glared at the disappearing box.

X

Time was going slowly for the Doctor and Ashley. They did nothing to the Doctor, just kept him in his room and made sure he was taken care of at the minimum, and now that nothing more had to be done to Ashley, she just drifted around aimlessly as she please, simply existing. Each hour that ticked by made the Doctor more and more nervous. What were they waiting for? A certain date, or the planets to become in alignment? With an exasperated groan, his head flopped back and hit the wall. He hated sitting still for even five minutes! Of course he'd already tried getting out of his room, but each time he found something he was forced back, and the something went away. The only change in his otherwise monotonous existence was when Ashley came by to bring him to the hologram room, but her visits were becoming more distanced apart. He began drumming his fingers on his leg. He'd been hearing an awful lot of shouting and screaming, not to mention shrieking, and it all seemed to be coming from Ashley. True, there were responding voices, but most of the time it was her. She sounded angry, scared, in pain, confused, and even more angry. He sighed slowly, and jumped up when he heard footsteps outside his door.

A disheveled Ashley stood in the doorway. The white button down shirt she wore was wrinkled, the sleeves pushed up to her elbows and the buttons off by one, the collar askew. The black slacks were dusty, her feet were bare, and her skin pale; anemic, even, with dark circles under her eyes. She still managed to give him a bright smile, as fake and forced as it may be. "Are you ready to go?" She asked him. Turning, the young woman headed down the hall without waiting for an answer, agitation radiating off of her. Once they were in the room she disappeared on her own through the forest to the beaches, leaving the Doctor by himself. For a moment he was unsure what to do, but a glance at the bench under the tree made up his mind. Pulling himself up into the branches, he located the bundle in the leaves and snagged it. Dropping down to the ground and the bench, he sat on it and withdrew the journal Ashley didn't want him to see.

If everything was normal, he wouldn't dare read her diary. Everything was not normal, however. It was as far from normal as one could get, and he really had no choice. He had to know what had happened to the girl. Something had been at work for a long time now, even before she'd found her way into this reality. Taking in a breath, he felt as if he were about to plunge off of the top of a fifty story building, he opened the journal to the very first page. He might as well start from the beginning. Ashley had first written about the strange happenings in her own reality at home. The very first thing she could remember was getting a strange message on her phone of lasers being fired and a very distinct Dalek voice. The Doctor's eyebrows furrowed. She wrote of the lights going out, her friend screaming at night, the spooky story some boys told at her birthday, seeing Angels in New York, finding the wood circle will Gallifreyan and the Doctor's fez. He sighed, and flipped forward. After Ashley had woken up they took her from the pod and put her into the room that was his now. Every day they'd take her and…Do stuff. She wasn't sure what, but the worst she remembered was something sharp being stabbed into her and feeling a warmth rip into her. Her very being had felt like it was being pulled apart, bit by bit. The Doctor had to pause for a moment. He knew very well that feeling; he'd been through it ten times already. Could it really be..?

There appeared to be a jump in time, and this time it was like he was reading the work of another person. This one wrote as if they only knew Ashley, and vaguely. Mostly they wrote about memories that came to them piece by piece, starting with their last apparent memory of dueling with an alien and having their hand severed. The next thing they knew they were staring at a surprised looking ginger. Together, they pulled the TARDIS away from harm, and then with the Doctor they saved the world. It was the first time in a long time that there had been the proper amount of pilots. Then they, he, was left in an alternate reality with Rose. It would have been fantastic if the heat had not begun building in his head the very day he was left there. He had concocted a sort of medicine to post pone it, but…He went to bed one day, Rose by his side, and when he woke up… The Doctor flipped ahead to the more recent entries. Mostly it was a lot of disjointed gibberish that he really couldn't make much sense of.

Ashley was writing about why he was there. They were waiting until…Until what? There was more gibberish, and he grunted in frustration. "What are they waiting for?" He asked himself out loud. What was the use of keeping him? He wasn't expecting the answer he received.

"They're waiting until I kill you." A voice said, startling him into dropping the journal. Looking up, he saw Ashley watching him a few feet away. She'd straightened her appearance up in the time that he'd been reading, and now she wore an Eye Drive. The young woman gave him a sad smile. "I told you not to read that." Sighing, she shook her head in exasperation. "After all, Doctor, nobody hates you more than yourself." The door to the hologram room opened, revealing Madame Kovarian flanked by a small group of armed men.

"It is time." The woman declared. The Doctor saw Ashley give her an annoyed glance.

"Yes, yes, I know. Give me a bloody gun already so this can finally be over." She snapped. If Kovarian disliked being spoke to that way, she didn't show it save for a small tic in the corner of her mouth. With a nod at a soldier, the man handed Ashley a gun, and she made sure the safety was off before focusing back on the Doctor.

"On your knees." She told him. He realized he was shaking as he complied.

"Ashley, Ashley, I am so sorry; I failed you, this should never have happened…" He began. Crossing to him, Ashley pressed a finger against his lips, leaning in close. Her hair tickled his face as she whispered in his ear.

"Rule number one." She confided in him. He was confused, and he glanced up at her. She'd positioned herself so that the others could not see his face. She didn't meet his eyes, but smiled wryly. That was when he noticed the Sonic Screwdriver sticking out of her pocket. Glancing at her again to confirm what he was hoping she meant, the smile faded some and she blinked once, drawing back. As she aimed the gun at his chest, her pocket now empty, she took in a deep breath. "Geronimo!" She shouted, suddenly turning and firing upon Madame Kovarian and the guards, purposefully not hitting them. They scattered, not expecting the attack, and tried to retreat, but two figures blocked their way.

"River!" The Doctor shouted, jumping to his feet. The blonde gave him her famous smile.

"Hello, sweetie." She said, standing with her back against Macon's as they herded the others into a captive group. The Doctor put his hand on Ashley's shoulder, staring at her in shock.

"Will you please tell me what is going on?" The blonde laughed, and dropped the gun, enveloping him an embrace.

"Oh, Doctor, I'm sorry. I am so sorry; I really am! I can't believe that I put you through all that…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "I will explain everything, I promise, but first we need to get out of here." The young woman cast a sly glance at Madame Kovarian. "Right after I take care of something, that is. Macon! Get the Doctor into the TARDIS." She instructed. Protesting, the Doctor tried to talk to her more, but she shook her head and grabbed the woman by the arm, taking her roughly with her someplace. Pacing around and around the console in the TARDIS impatiently, the Doctor looked up at the door for the fiftieth time just as Ashley opened the door. "Go, go, go!" She cheered. For the first time in a while the Doctor grinned at her like he used to, and quick as you like he had them up into the Time Vortex.

(I bet none of you were expecting any of that! Anyway, wow, forty-five chapters. Please remember to tell me what you think! Suggestions? Comments? Let me know.)


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